Sydney Airport has been the site of a fourth near-collision in the past three months, prompting preliminary investigations by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). The agency released its findings on Sept. 30, detailing a series of runway incidents involving passenger aircraft that have raised questions about safety protocols and staffing levels at Australia's busiest aviation hub.
The sequence of events began on July 27, when a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway directly in front of a QantasLink Dash 8 that was landing. On Aug. 9, a Jetstar Airbus A320 had to brake abruptly to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed across its path. The sudden deceleration caused a flight attendant aboard the Jetstar aircraft to fall, resulting in a fractured wrist. That same day, a Qantas Boeing 737 was also cleared to cross a runway in front of a Virgin Australia 737 that had just received clearance for takeoff. Nine days later, a Qantas Airbus A321 was forced to brake while taxiing to allow another Qantas 737 to pass in front of it.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sydney Airport stated that safety remains its highest priority. A spokesperson said the airport will continue to support the Minister and Airservices as they review the preliminary findings and determine appropriate actions. The airport is awaiting the final reports and any recommendations arising from the ATSB's investigations.
Investigators have identified staffing levels at Sydney Airport's control tower as a recurring area of inquiry. While they have not determined whether staffing factors directly contributed to the recent incidents, Angus Mitchell, the ATSB chief commissioner, explained that the investigations aim to understand the significance of staff resourcing pressures. This includes examining the practice of combining operational roles, the routine reliance on overtime to fill shifts, and the conduct of training or supervision activities alongside operational duties.
Mitchell also noted that investigators raised concerns about fatigue, though he cautioned that a heightened risk of fatigue does not necessarily mean controllers were tired at the time of the specific incidents. The ATSB is examining the effectiveness of current measures in place to manage this identified risk.
A separate ATSB analysis found that Sydney Airport logged more ground conflicts per aircraft movement than any other major airport in Australia since the pandemic. This rate sat roughly 20% higher than the national average. Mitchell advised that these findings should be viewed in the context of Sydney Airport being the most complex in the country.