Planes narrowly avoid runway collision as delays continue at Sydney Airport

Two planes narrowly avoided a runway collision at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning, after enduring days of significant delays. A Jetstar Airbus A320, preparing to enter an intersection, abruptly braked to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed by a tug. The Qatar plane had no passengers on board, but the Jetstar flight reported a staff member injured.

Footage from inside the Jetstar plane shows the pilot informing passengers of the injury. The pilot claims the ground crew did not follow instructions, as they were directed to hold short but focused on crossing the runway. Jetstar has launched an investigation into the incident, while the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has also opened an investigation, requesting video footage from witnesses.

The near miss occurred amid ongoing delays at Sydney Airport, with over 150 flights delayed on Saturday, primarily due to staffing shortages. Airservices Australia, responsible for managing the airport's airspace, introduced reduced traffic movements because of rostering issues. They are working to address these problems and enhance their training pipeline to improve controller flexibility.