A Jetstar Airbus A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 came dangerously close to colliding on the tarmac at Sydney Airport, Australia’s busiest airport, on Sunday.
The Jetstar aircraft was taxiing for takeoff to the Gold Coast in Queensland when its flight crew spotted the Qatar Airways Boeing 777 in close proximity on a crossing taxiway.
The Qatar Airways plane was being towed by an aircraft tug at the time, according to a statement from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
“Both aircraft were stopped abruptly,” the ATSB said, describing the sudden halt that followed the near-collision between the two passenger jets.
The emergency stop caused a Jetstar cabin crew member, who was moving through the cabin at the time, to sustain an injury requiring treatment by paramedics.
The abrupt stop also caused damage to the connection between the Boeing 777’s nose gear and the aircraft tug that was maneuvering the plane.
The ATSB confirmed it has launched a formal investigation, with investigators gathering data from both aircraft, air traffic control systems, and interviewing crew members and tug operators.
Australian safety regulators also issued a public call for any witnesses at the airport to submit visual footage or evidence related to the incident.
Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Australia’s national carrier Qantas, confirmed it is conducting its own separate internal investigation into the near-miss event.
“Our aircraft was following instructions by Air Traffic Control when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came in close proximity,” a Jetstar spokesperson said.
Qatar Airways, the flag carrier of Qatar, had not issued any immediate public statement in response to the incident at the time of reporting.
The near-collision compounded an already difficult weekend for Sydney Airport, with government agency Airservices Australia reporting that flights were experiencing delays in the aftermath of the incident.
The disruption came just one day after Sydney Airport faced widespread delays triggered by Airservices Australia authorizing “departure spacing” due to roster issues with air traffic controllers.
The back-to-back disruptions have raised fresh questions about operational safety and air traffic management at one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most heavily trafficked aviation hubs.
