Jetstar plane narrowly avoids crashing into Qatar Airways flight at Sydney airport

Four Occurrences in Three Weeks

Safety regulators are investigating a series of ground incidents at Sydney Airport that have unfolded over just over three weeks, raising questions about air traffic management at Australia’s busiest airport. The most recent event, reported by Airservices Australia as a potential traffic conflict between two Qantas aircraft, occurred just after 8am on Tuesday 19 August 2026 and has been classified by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau as a safety incident rather than a serious incident.

According to ABC Australia, Qantas flight QF589 was heading west along taxiway Lima after landing from the Gold Coast when Qantas flight QF405, bound for Melbourne, received permission to turn onto the same taxiway. The crew of QF405 stopped and allowed the other aircraft to pass. An ATSB spokesperson stated there was no immediate risk of collision, with the Melbourne-bound aircraft braking normally. The bureau elected to investigate to understand the potential conflicting instructions issued to the flight crews. Qantas said its aircraft had been cleared to proceed following air traffic control instructions and would support the investigation. Airservices Australia confirmed it had reported the matter to safety authorities and stated that each incident is being examined on its individual facts while the organisation continues to review operational events to maintain safe operations.

SBS Australia described the Tuesday event as the fourth close call in as many weeks and noted that two planes had been given permission to use the same runway area at the same time, with one pilot stopping upon seeing the other.

Jetstar and Qatar Airways Encounter

The series includes a more serious occurrence on the morning of 9 or 10 August 2026 involving a Jetstar Airbus A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777. Multiple outlets reported that the Jetstar aircraft was taxiing for a departure to the Gold Coast when its crew observed the empty Qatar Airways jet, under tow by an aircraft tug, in close proximity on a crossing taxiway. Both aircraft stopped abruptly. A cabin crew member on the Jetstar flight sustained a serious injury, and there was damage to the connection between the 777’s nose gear and the tug.

The South China Morning Post reported that the ATSB launched an investigation after the Jetstar pilot was forced to apply sudden brakes. Investigators are collecting data from both aircraft and air traffic control, and interviewing crew and tug operators. The regulator also called for witnesses to submit any video of the event. The Hindu reported that Jetstar, the budget arm of Qantas, stated its aircraft was following air traffic control instructions when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came into close proximity. Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Airservices Australia enacted departure spacing at the airport afterwards to manage projected demands and declined to comment on the cause while the matter remained under review.

SBS Australia classified this Jetstar-Qatar encounter as a serious incident. The Hindu noted that the near-miss came a day after widespread delays at the airport linked to Airservices Australia applying the same departure-spacing measure because of roster constraints with air traffic controllers.

Earlier Runway and Taxiway Events

Two further events form part of the cluster. On 27 July 2026, a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway while a QantasLink aircraft was landing. Air traffic control detected the situation and alerted both crews; the 737 stopped after passing the holding point. SBS Australia and ABC Australia both reported this occurrence, with SBS classifying it as a serious incident.

On 9 August 2026 at about 10am, a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 began its take-off sequence as a Qantas Boeing 737 crossed another runway roughly 1,170 metres ahead. Both crews reported having received clearances from air traffic control. The Virgin pilot stopped after controllers cancelled the take-off clearance. SBS Australia classified this as an incident. ABC Australia linked it to the same period of conflicting instructions on the tarmac.

The ATSB has indicated it will examine whether the recent occurrences share common contributing factors.

Longer-Term Patterns in the Data

SBS Australia published an analysis of ATSB data covering Australian commercial air transport from 2003 to 2025, focusing on runway incursions and taxiing collisions or near-collisions. The analysis found that taxiing collisions or near-collisions have increased significantly in both number and rate for domestic aviation. For all commercial air transport, the number of such events rose significantly although the rate did not. Runway incursions in commercial air transport increased significantly in both number and rate per million flight hours, while domestic runway incursions showed no significant rise in count or rate.

Domestic taxiing accidents accounted for 2.16 percent of all domestic aviation events, with three of the 29 domestic aviation accidents recorded since 2003 being taxiing collisions. Almost 98 percent of runway incursions in commercial air transport were classified as incidents rather than more severe categories. The analysis cautioned that a cluster of events does not by itself demonstrate that Sydney Airport has suddenly become unsafe, while noting that the pattern warrants attention.

Staffing Pressures and Official Positions

Civil Air president Scott Nugent told SBS Australia that there are not enough air traffic controllers in Australia, that Sydney Airport has relied heavily on overtime, and that some controllers may work more than 20 extra hours a week. The ATSB will examine whether understaffing played a role in the recent occurrences.

Airservices Australia has emphasised that it will continue to review operational events and take any action required to maintain safe operations. The organisation has applied departure spacing on more than one occasion in the period surrounding these events, citing the need to manage airborne and departure demands and, in one instance, roster constraints.

Perspectives

Jetstar stated that its aircraft was following air traffic control instructions when pilots had to brake firmly after another aircraft came into close proximity, and the airline is conducting its own investigation. Qantas said its aircraft involved in the Tuesday taxiway event had been cleared to proceed on ATC instructions and would support the ATSB inquiry. Airservices Australia has stressed individual investigation of each incident and ongoing operational reviews while declining detailed comment on causes still under examination. The ATSB has classified the events differently according to assessed risk—treating the Jetstar-Qatar and July runway occurrences as serious incidents and the later events as incidents—and is collecting data and witness material while looking for any common factors, including possible understaffing. Civil Air, representing controllers, has pointed to chronic staffing shortfalls and heavy overtime reliance at Sydney as a background pressure the safety bureau will now consider.

Investigations remain active across the four occurrences, with findings expected to clarify the sequence of instructions, ground movements and any systemic contributors at the airport.