Sydney Airport is under federal investigation after four runway near-misses in three months left one crew member injured and raised alarms about air-traffic control staffing.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released preliminary findings on Sept. 30 tracing the string of incidents to late July. Angus Mitchell, the bureau’s chief commissioner, said investigators are focused on “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.”
The first close call came July 27, when a Qantas Boeing 737 received clearance to cross a runway directly in front of an incoming QantasLink Dash 8, according to the ATSB reports.
On Aug. 9, the situation turned physical for passengers and crew aboard a Jetstar Airbus A320. The aircraft was forced to brake abruptly to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed across its path. A flight attendant on the Jetstar plane fell during the sudden deceleration and fractured her wrist.
That same day, a second Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway in front of a Virgin Australia 737 that had already received takeoff clearance, the bureau found.
The fourth incident followed nine days later, on Aug. 18, when a Qantas Airbus A321 had to brake while taxiing to let another Qantas 737 pass in front of it.
Mitchell also flagged fatigue as an area of concern, though he was careful to note that heightened risk does not establish that controllers were actually tired during any of the four events. “We are examining the effectiveness of the measures in place to manage this identified risk,” he added in the press release.
The bureau’s broader analysis shows Sydney Airport has recorded the highest rate of ground conflicts per aircraft movement among Australia’s major airports since pandemic restrictions lifted — roughly 20 percent above the national average. Mitchell urged that this figure “be viewed in the context of Sydney Airport being the most complex in the country.”
The airport’s operators pushed back against any suggestion they were downplaying the matter. In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson said safety was the facility’s “highest priority.”
“We will continue to support the Minister and Airservices as they work through the preliminary findings and the appropriate actions,” the spokesperson continued. “We await the final reports and any recommendations arising from the ATSB’s investigations.”
Investigators have not yet determined whether staffing factors directly caused any of the four near-misses, and the bureau emphasized that its Sept. 30 release represents preliminary findings only. The ATSB is continuing its formal investigations into each incident.