Sydney Airport faces closer scrutiny over runway incidents and near-misses

A major international airport is facing mounting scrutiny after investigators released preliminary findings into a series of runway incidents and near-collisions.

The incidents, which involved passenger aircraft, all occurred at Sydney Airport during the past three months.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released preliminary reports on Sept. 30.

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The incidents began July 27, when a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway in front of a QantasLink Dash 8 that was landing, according to the ATSB.

On Aug. 9, a Jetstar Airbus A320 was forced to brake abruptly to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed across its path. A flight attendant aboard the Jetstar aircraft fell during that sudden braking — and fractured her wrist.

The same day, a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway in front of a Virgin Australia 737 that had just been cleared for takeoff, the report said. 

Nine days later, a Qantas Airbus A321 had to brake while taxiing to allow another Qantas 737 to pass in front of it.

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In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, Sydney Airport said safety was its “highest priority.”

“We will continue to support the Minister and Airservices as they work through the preliminary findings and the appropriate actions,” a spokesperson said. “We await the final reports and any recommendations arising from the ATSB’s investigations.”

Staffing levels at Sydney Airport’s control tower had emerged as a recurring area of inquiry, investigators said, although they have not determined whether staffing factors directly contributed to any of the recent incidents.

“These investigations will look to understand the significance of staff resourcing pressures within the tower, specifically, the practice of combining operational roles, the routine reliance on overtime to fill shifts, and training or supervision activities being conducted alongside operational duties,” Angus Mitchell, ATSB chief commissioner, said in a press release.

Investigators also raised concerns about fatigue, though they cautioned that a heightened risk of fatigue does not necessarily mean controllers were tired at the time of the incidents.

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“We are examining the effectiveness of the measures in place to manage this identified risk,” added Mitchell.

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The incidents came as Sydney Airport recorded the highest rate of ground conflicts per aircraft movement among Australia’s major airports in the post-COVID period — about 20% above the national average, according to a separate ATSB analysis.

Mitchell cautioned that the findings should “be viewed in the context of Sydney Airport being the most complex in the country.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the ATSB for further comment and insight.