A Jetstar plane narrowly avoided a collision with a Qatar Airways aircraft at Sydney Airport on Sunday after the pilots were forced to brake sharply while taxiing for departure.
The Jetstar A320 was preparing to fly to the Gold Coast with 151 passengers and six crew when it encountered the Qatar Airways Boeing 777, which was being towed on the ground. The Jetstar aircraft stopped about 50 metres from the other plane.
The sudden braking injured a Jetstar cabin crew member, who was taken for medical assessment. No passengers were injured, while the Jetstar flight was cancelled and passengers were rebooked.
The incident is now being investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is reviewing available evidence and interviewing those involved. Investigators are also examining whether the towing operation followed air traffic control instructions.
Bloomberg reported that the near-miss occurred amid ongoing concerns over staffing levels among air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport. The airport had experienced more than 150 flight delays the previous day because of reduced staffing.
The incident comes just two weeks after another aircraft near-miss at Sydney Airport, adding to scrutiny of safety and operational pressures at Australia’s busiest airport.
