Concern over Sydney airport as near misses and runway incursions at 20% above national average

Australian air-safety investigators are probing traffic controller fatigue and staffing levels in the wake of a series of close calls at Sydney Airport, following a series of near-misses at the country's busiest aviation hub. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released a preliminary report on Wednesday, examining four of the six incidents that have occurred.

These include a Jetstar plane having to quickly brake while taxiing to avoid a Qatar Airways jet that was being towed nearby, and a Qantas Airways Boeing 737 being ordered to cross in front of a QantasLink Dash8 aircraft while it was in its landing roll. Although the report does not include findings, the ATSB's Chief Commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said in a statement that air traffic control involvement in each incident is currently being investigated.

"Staff resourcing within Sydney Tower at the time of many of the occurrences has emerged as a recurring area of inquiry," Mitchell said, adding that the investigations will explore the impact of staffing pressures within the tower, such as combining operational roles, the reliance on overtime to fill shifts, and training or supervision activities being conducted alongside operational duties.

The ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport has raised safety concerns, with Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson recently calling for the issue to be resolved, citing flight delays affecting tens of thousands of passengers.