Australian aviation investigators have released preliminary findings into a series of runway incidents at Sydney Airport, including four near collisions involving passenger aircraft over the past three months. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau published the reports on Sept. 30, placing one of the country's busiest hubs under mounting scrutiny over ground safety and air traffic control staffing.
The most serious incident occurred on Aug. 9, when 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 the sudden braking and fractured her wrist. On 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 sequence of events began on July 27, when a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway in front of a QantasLink Dash 8 that was landing. Nine days after the Aug. 9 incidents, a Qantas Airbus A321 had to brake while taxiing to allow another Qantas 737 to pass in front of it.
Staffing levels at Sydney Airport's control tower have emerged as a recurring area of inquiry, according to the ATSB, though investigators have not determined whether staffing factors directly contributed to any of the incidents. The agency said its investigations will examine 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, the ATSB chief commissioner, said in a press release that the investigations will look to understand these pressures. Investigators also raised concerns about fatigue, while cautioning that a heightened risk of fatigue does not necessarily mean controllers were tired at the time of the incidents. Mitchell added that the agency is examining the effectiveness of measures in place to manage the identified risk.
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 percent 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.
In a statement, Sydney Airport said safety was its highest priority. A spokesperson said the airport will continue to support the Minister and Airservices as they work through the preliminary findings and the appropriate actions, and that it awaits the final reports and any recommendations arising from the ATSB's investigations.
The preliminary reports do not yet assign cause or fault. Final reports are expected to follow as the investigations continue, and any recommendations could shape operational procedures and staffing practices at the airport.