Two passenger aircraft stopped just 120 metres apart during a serious runway incident at Sydney Airport, according to new details released by Australia's transport safety investigator.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released preliminary reports into four of six aircraft conflict incidents it is investigating at Sydney Airport during July and August 2026.
The most serious involved a Qantas Boeing 737 and QantasLink Dash 8 on July 27 and has been classified as a Category A runway incursion, the highest severity category on the international scale.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said it was only the third incident assessed at that level in Australia since the ATSB's records began in 2003.
The ATSB has also released analysis showing Sydney recorded the highest rate of ground aircraft conflicts per aircraft movement among Australia's major airports in the post-COVID period, at around 20 per cent above the national average.
However, investigators stress that their work is continuing and the preliminary reports do not yet make findings about what caused the incidents.
Image: geoffchilds
Qantas aircraft stopped 120 metres apart
The most serious incident occurred at around 8:14am on July 27.
A Qantas Boeing 737 operating QF124 from Queenstown had landed at Sydney and was taxiing on runway 25.
At the same time, a QantasLink Dash 8 carrying 55 people was landing on runway 34L after flying from Canberra.
Air traffic control cleared the Boeing 737, which had 157 people aboard, to cross runway 34L while the Dash 8 was still completing its landing roll.
The conflict was detected and both crews were alerted.
The Boeing 737 stopped after passing the runway holding point, while the Dash 8 stopped before reaching the intersection.
The two aircraft were approximately 120 metres apart when they came to a stop.
No one was injured and neither aircraft was damaged.
The ATSB has classified the occurrence as a serious incident and a Category A runway incursion.
Investigators are examining air traffic control recordings, CCTV, flight data, warning systems, tower handover procedures, fatigue management and rostering as part of the continuing investigation.
Read the ATSB investigation into the July 27 incident
Jetstar crew member fractured wrist in another incident
Less than two weeks later, another incident occurred at Sydney Airport involving a Jetstar Airbus A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777.
Jetstar flight JQ402 was taxiing for departure to the Gold Coast on the morning of August 9 when its pilots observed the Qatar Airways aircraft, which was being moved by a tug, in close proximity on a crossing taxiway.
Both aircraft stopped abruptly.
A Jetstar cabin crew member fell during the braking and suffered a fractured wrist, which the ATSB has classified as a serious injury. Neither aircraft was damaged.
The ATSB is investigating factors including flight and surveillance data, towing procedures, training and safety-critical decision making.
Image: Photo by Virgin Australia flight also abandoned take-off
There was another significant incident at Sydney Airport on the same day.
At around 10am on August 9, Virgin Australia flight VA555 was cleared for take-off from runway 34L for a flight to Perth.
As the crew began applying thrust, they saw a Qantas Boeing 737 crossing the runway ahead of them.
The Qantas crew reported having received clearance from air traffic control to cross.
Virgin's pilots reduced thrust and stopped their aircraft, while air traffic control cancelled the take-off clearance.
After the Qantas aircraft had cleared the runway, the Virgin aircraft was cleared to depart.
There were no injuries and neither aircraft was damaged.
The ATSB has classified the occurrence as a runway incursion and rejected take-off.
Read the ATSB investigation into the August 9 runway incursion
Six Sydney Airport incidents are being investigated
The ATSB currently has six separate investigations underway involving aircraft coordination and conflict incidents at Sydney Airport during July and August.
Four preliminary reports were released on September 30 covering:
- July 27: Qantas Boeing 737 cleared to cross in front of a landing QantasLink Dash 8.
- August 9: Jetstar A320 braking abruptly to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 under tow.
- August 9: Qantas 737 crossing ahead of a Virgin Australia 737 that had been cleared for take-off.
- August 18: Qantas A321 braking to allow another Qantas 737 to pass in front of it.
The ATSB is also investigating incidents from August 17 and August 25.
In those two cases, investigators have specifically said there was no immediate risk of collision, with flight and ground crews recognising the developing conflicts and responding appropriately.
Sydney's conflict rate is around 20% above national average
Alongside the individual investigations, the ATSB analysed ground-based aircraft conflicts at Australia's five busiest airports between 2016 and August 2026.
Nationally, the rate remained broadly stable over the decade.
Sydney was different.
The ATSB found Sydney had the highest ground confliction rate per aircraft movement among the major airports after COVID, around 20 per cent above the national average.
Investigators also identified increases at Sydney in potentially higher-consequence incidents including runway incursions, taxiway near collisions and losses of separation attributed to air traffic control actions.
However, the ATSB also cautioned that Sydney Airport is Australia's most complex airport, an important consideration when comparing its figures with other airports.
So the statistic shouldn't be interpreted simply as passengers being “20 per cent more likely to have a near miss” when flying through Sydney.
Air traffic controller staffing under investigation
One issue appears repeatedly in the preliminary material: staffing at Sydney's air traffic control tower.
The ATSB says staff resourcing at the tower during many of the incidents has become a recurring area of enquiry.
Investigators will examine issues including operational roles being combined, reliance on overtime to fill shifts and training or supervision being carried out alongside operational duties.
Airservices Australia's own roster modelling also predicted elevated fatigue risks for staff around the time of several incidents.
But that does not mean investigators have determined tired air traffic controllers caused them.
Mitchell stressed that an elevated predicted fatigue risk doesn't establish that a controller was actually fatigued or that fatigue affected their performance.
The ATSB is examining how those identified risks were being managed.
Image: mauricallari
Is Sydney Airport safe?
Despite the seriousness of some of the incidents, Australia's aviation regulator says there is currently no evidence of an immediate safety risk to travellers.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has reviewed the ATSB's preliminary reports and says it continues to regard Australia's aviation system and Sydney Airport as safe.
CASA is conducting its own safety assurance review to determine whether there are underlying operational or system issues requiring action.
The ATSB also points out that safety defences worked during all six incidents.
Pilots, air traffic controllers or ground crews recognised developing conflicts and acted before they became more serious.
The federal government has now established a Sydney Airport Air Traffic Control Independent Assurance Panel, initially for six months.
The panel will examine whether Airservices Australia is taking appropriate action around workforce planning, recruitment, training, roster resilience and air traffic control systems.
Investigations are continuing
The ATSB's September 30 reports are preliminary.
That distinction matters because investigators have not yet determined the causes or contributing factors behind the incidents.
The individual investigations remain underway, with final reports expected after the evidence has been fully analysed.
If investigators identify a critical safety issue before then, the ATSB says relevant organisations will be notified immediately so safety action can be taken.
For travellers passing through Australia's busiest airport, the incidents have understandably attracted attention.
But the investigations are also an example of the layers of Australia's aviation safety system at work: incidents are reported and investigated, potential patterns are identified, and regulators can require changes where systemic problems are ultimately found.
Sources
ATSB – Sydney Airport preliminary reports and statistical analysis
ATSB – July 27 Qantas/QantasLink runway incident
ATSB – August 9 Jetstar/Qatar taxiway incident
ATSB – August 9 Virgin/Qantas runway incident
