Preliminary findings from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have highlighted a series of runway incidents and near-collisions at Sydney Airport over the past three months. The incidents involved passenger aircraft and took place at the major international airport during July and August.
According to the ATSB, the first incident occurred on July 27, when a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway in front of a QantasLink Dash 8 that was landing. On August 9, a Jetstar Airbus A320 was forced to brake abruptly to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed across its path, resulting in a flight attendant fracturing her wrist during the sudden braking.
The ATSB has also reported two other incidents that took place on August 9 and August 18, in which Qantas aircraft were forced to brake while taxiing to avoid other planes. The bureau has identified staffing levels at Sydney Airport's control tower as a recurring area of inquiry, although it has not determined whether staffing factors directly contributed to any of the recent incidents.
In a statement, Sydney Airport said that safety is its "highest priority" and that it will continue to support the Minister and Airservices as they work through the preliminary findings and recommended actions. The airport is awaiting the final reports and any recommendations arising from the ATSB's investigations.
The ATSB's chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, has stated that the investigations will examine the effectiveness of measures in place to manage the risk of fatigue, which was raised as a concern. Mitchell also cautioned that the findings should be viewed in the context of Sydney Airport being the most complex in the country.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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