The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced it was investigating a second runway incursion incident at Sydney airport that occurred on 9 August, marking the third safety incident at the facility in under three weeks. The incident involved a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 that aborted takeoff when a Qantas Boeing 737 began crossing the runway ahead of it. The Qantas crew reported they had received clearance from air traffic control to cross the runway, while the Virgin flight crew spotted the aircraft and reduced thrust to bring their plane to a stop.
The incident happened hours after a separate near-collision between a Jetstar aircraft and a Qatar Airways plane on the tarmac that drew significant public attention. An earlier near-miss on 27 July involved a Qantas flight being cleared to cross a runway in front of another Qantas aircraft that had recently landed. All three incidents are under investigation by the transport safety authority.
Airservices Australia, the government organisation managing the nation’s airspace, stated that safety remained its priority and that it was cooperating with investigators and stakeholders. The recurring incidents have intensified scrutiny on staffing levels at Sydney airport, with the organisation facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. Airservices has attributed recent flight delays to insufficient controller availability.
The staffing crisis stems partly from a pandemic-era initiative that encouraged numerous experienced controllers to leave in 2021. While Airservices subsequently launched a recruitment program, new hires have not kept pace with demand due to challenging qualification tests and a required 18-month training period in Melbourne. Additional pressure comes from the opening of Western Sydney Airport and Airservices’ recent assumption of airspace management at Ballina airport in northern New South Wales.
Federal Transport Minister Catherine King met with Airservices Chief Executive Rob Sharp and described the disruptions as unacceptable, though she expressed confidence in the organisation’s efforts to address the situation. The minister noted that Airservices was adjusting rostering practices in the near term and that approximately 95 additional air traffic controllers were expected to be certified by the end of the year.
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