A fire broke out in a factory building near Sydney Airport on Tuesday evening, with more than 80 firefighters called in to tackle the huge blaze.

Fire crews were called to Coward Street, Mascot, around 7.15pm.

Plumes of smoke could be seen from the airport terminal where a CNN cameraman said flights were continuing to arrive and depart through the smoke.

Fire and Rescue NSW has confirmed more than 80 firefighters are attending the blaze at the factory, located approximately 1.5 kilometres away from Sydney Airport.

“FRNSW is currently on scene at a factory fire in Coward St, Mascot,” the organisation tweeted.

“More than 80 firefighters are working to contain the large blaze. Operations are ongoing.”

Firefighters are using aerial appliances to battle the blaze, with a Sydney Airport fire crew also assisting.

It’s expected that crews will work into the early hours of the morning to get the blaze under control.

NSW Police and NSW Ambulance are in attendance, but neighbouring buildings are not under threat at present and there were no initial reports of any injuries.

A spokesman for Sydney Airport told 7NEWS.com.au the fire was to the north of the airport.

“Two fire units from the airport have attended the scene to assist the NSW fire brigade,” the spokesman said.

“At this stage, we are anticipating minimal disruptions and delays to arriving and departing aircraft as a result of the smoke.”

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It’s understood the fire started on the ground floor of the two-level factory.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson said that nobody was in the factory building at the time the blaze broke out.

People took to social media to share footage of smoke billowing across the city.

Some said they could see the smoke from as far away as Cremorne Point, on Sydney’s north shore.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

A Sydney Airport spokesperson said flights had been delayed for a maximum of 15 minutes and there was no threat to the airport’s fuel storage depots.