Sydney airport safety lapses leave planes 120 metres apart
Sydney airport recorded near misses at 20% above the national average. Staffing gaps are being investigated as a key factor.
A safety review found Sydney airport experiencing dangerous near misses and runway incursions. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released preliminary reports on Wednesday.
Staffing levels at the airport's control tower are being investigated as a recurring issue. Four incidents happened in July and August.
On 27 July, a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross in front of a smaller Qantaslink aircraft. The two planes came within 120 metres of each other.
A controller was on a required rest break to manage predicted high fatigue. On 9 August, a Jetstar plane braked to avoid a Qatar aircraft being towed.
A flight attendant was injured. Sydney recorded the highest incident rate among major Australian airports after Covid.
It is about 20% above the national average.
- 20%
- Incident rate above national average
- 120 metres
- Aircraft separation on 27 July
- 4 incidents
- Incidents in period
- July and August
- Timeline
Why it mattersThe incidents expose critical weaknesses in Australia's busiest airport's control tower. This matters as air traffic recovers to normal levels.
AustraliaAustralians flying through Sydney face heightened safety scrutiny, with a new independent assurance panel being set up to oversee air traffic control.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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