Near-collision at Sydney Airport: Two planes came too close to each other

Two planes almost collided at Sydney airport. According to a report by the ABC broadcaster, a crew member of the Australian airline Jetstar was injured, but no passengers were harmed. An air traffic controller and a ground employee involved were suspended from duty. In addition, the head of the state air traffic control Airservices Australia, Rob Sharp, had to explain himself to Transport Minister Catherine King. The two aircraft, an Australian airline Jetstar and a Boeing 777 from Qatar Airways, came too close to each other on the tarmac. According to the Australian aviation safety authority ATSB, the pilot of the Jetstar plane had to brake abruptly before takeoff to prevent a collision. The Qatar Airways plane was towed by an aircraft tug. According to initial information from investigators, its driver did not follow the tower's instructions. The ATSB launched an investigation. According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, ATSB boss Angus Mitchell spoke of an incident that occurred at low speed but could still have been very dangerous. A similar incident occurred at Australia's largest airport at the end of July. At that time, two aircraft received conflicting instructions from air traffic controllers. This incident is also being investigated.

The incident has brought security measures at Sydney Airport back into focus.