ATSB investigates fourth runway near‑miss at Sydney Airport as safety concerns grow
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) announced on Thursday that it is investigating a fourth runway near‑miss at Sydney Airport, in which a commercial aircraft had to brake abruptly after coming dangerously close to another aircraft on the runway.
The latest event occurred on August 18, adding to three earlier incidents that began on July 27 when a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway in front of a landing QantasLink Dash 8, and on August 9 when a Jetstar Airbus A320 braked hard to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed across its path, injuring a flight attendant.
Earlier in August, a Qantas Boeing 737 was again cleared to cross in front of a Virgin Australia 737 destined for take‑off, and nine days later a Qantas Airbus A321 had to brake while taxiing to allow another Qantas 737 to pass.
Airport officials said safety is the "highest priority" and pledged full cooperation with the ATSB and the Minister for Transport. A spokesperson added that the airport will support any recommended actions once the final reports are released.
ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell highlighted that investigators will focus on staff resourcing pressures within the control tower, including the practice of combining operational roles, reliance on overtime to fill shifts, and training or supervision activities being conducted alongside operational duties. He also noted concerns about fatigue, while cautioning that the presence of fatigue risk does not automatically mean controllers were tired at the time of the incidents.
Separate ATSB analysis shows Sydney Airport recorded the highest rate of ground conflicts per aircraft movement among Australia’s major airports in the post‑COVID period, roughly 20 percent above the national average. Mitchell reminded observers that the findings should be viewed in the context of Sydney Airport being the most complex airport in the country.
The investigation aims to determine the root causes of the near‑misses and to recommend safety improvements that could prevent future runway conflicts.
