SYDNEY, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Australia's busiest airport, Sydney Airport, has seen a 94.3 percent drop in passenger usage in October year on year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport said in a statement Friday.

In October, 225,000 passengers passed through the gates at Sydney airport, 38,000 of which were international travellers, 94.3 percent less than the same month last year.

Most of those travelling internationally were Australians arriving back in the country, the rest were made up primarily of citizens from China, New Zealand, India and the United States.

A lifting of domestic border restrictions saw a modest increase in the number of interstate travellers between the months of September and October with more states allowing arrivals from New South Wales (NSW).

"The downturn in passenger traffic is expected to persist until further government travel restrictions are eased," the airport said in a statement on Friday.

With COVID-19 clusters under control in NSW and Victoria, further reopening of domestic borders are planned for before the end of the year, with the exception of Western Australia which has so far largely chosen to remain isolated.