Australia's Sydney Airport says it could have accommodated passengers left stranded when their Jetstar flight to Melbourne was cancelled at night on Jan. 31, if it had been asked by the airline.

Dozens of people slept outside the terminal after being forced out by security at 1:00am (AEDT).

While Jetstar said the matter was out of its hands, Sydney Airport spokesman Rod Gilmore says Jetstar never approached the airport about the plight of its passengers.

"We could have provided facilities in T2 if we'd been asked but in fact what was provided, what was provided to passengers was that seats were available in T1 and many passengers took advantage of that," he said.

"Obviously with anything like that we will review our procedures and see whether any changes to that needs to be made."

Meanwhile, Jetstar had said that as it is only a tenant at Sydney Airport, the matter was out of its hands.

Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway says airlines do not control security arrangements at the airport.

"Jetstar is a tenant at Sydney Airport, a tenant at Terminal Two. We don't operate the terminal, we don't operate the security or management of that terminal," he said.

"That terminal is managed by Sydney Airport."

Stranded Jetstar passengers eventually arrived at Melbourne Airport later in the morning on Feb. 1.