Australia investigates near-miss collision of two planes on tarmac at Sydney airport

A near-miss collision between a Jetstar A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 on the tarmac at Sydney Airport is under investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The incident occurred Sunday when the Jetstar aircraft was taxiing for takeoff to the Gold Coast. Its flight crew reportedly spotted the Qatar Airways plane, which was being towed by an aircraft tug, extremely close on a crossing taxiway.

Both aircraft were brought to an abrupt halt to avoid a collision. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau stated that a cabin crew member on the Jetstar plane was injured. Additionally, the connection between the Qatar Airways plane's nose gear and the aircraft tug sustained damage.

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Both aircraft were stopped abruptly.

Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas, confirmed it is investigating the incident. A spokesperson for the airline stated that their aircraft was following Air Traffic Control instructions when pilots initiated a firm brake application due to the proximity of the other aircraft. Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This incident follows a day of widespread delays at Sydney Airport, caused by Airservices Australia implementing departure spacing due to air traffic controller roster issues.

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Our aircraft was following instructions by Air Traffic Control when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came in close proximity.