Australia Investigates Three Near-Collision Incidents at Sydney Airport

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating three separate incidents at Sydney Airport where aircraft came dangerously close to colliding in less than two weeks. The close calls have raised concerns about safety at one of Australia's busiest airports.

The most recent incident occurred on August 9, when a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 received clearance for takeoff but its crew spotted a Qantas aircraft taxiing across the runway. The Virgin Australia pilots managed to stop their aircraft about 1 kilometer short of another plane that also had clearance to taxi. Earlier the same day, a Jetstar aircraft had to brake sharply to avoid a collision with a Qatar Airways plane.

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As I mentioned earlier, we know that this is a critical expansion period for the aviation services sector in terms of recruiting, training and certifying air traffic controllers.

On July 27, two Qantas aircraft were involved in a near-miss after both received clearance for takeoff. ATSB chief Angus Mitchell stated that the airport was undergoing "supervision or training" on August 9. He acknowledged that the aviation services sector is currently in a significant expansion phase for recruiting, training, and certifying air traffic controllers.

Mitchell assured the public that the ATSB would conduct a thorough and timely investigation into any organizational or systemic issues that may have contributed to these incidents. The investigation will examine all evidence, including the airport's traffic volume and the staffing levels in the control tower at the time of the events. The ATSB aims to understand the root causes and prevent future occurrences.

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We will look at all the evidence, including how busy the airport was at the time and the staffing of the tower.