Sydney Airport is facing increased scrutiny after investigators released preliminary findings into a series of runway conflicts and near-collisions involving passenger aircraft.
The incidents all occurred at the international airport over a three-month period.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) published its preliminary reports on Sept. 30.
The first incident occurred July 27, when a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway while a QantasLink Dash 8 was landing, according to the ATSB.
On Aug. 9, a Jetstar Airbus A320 had to brake suddenly to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 that was being towed across its path.
A flight attendant on the Jetstar aircraft fell during the abrupt stop and suffered a fractured wrist.
Later that same day, a Qantas Boeing 737 was cleared to cross a runway in front of a Virgin Australia 737 that had just received clearance for takeoff, the report said.
Nine days later, a Qantas Airbus A321 was forced to brake while taxiing so another Qantas 737 could pass in front of it.
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Sydney Airport said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday that safety remains its “highest priority.”
“We will continue to support the Minister and Airservices as they work through the preliminary findings and the appropriate actions,” a spokesperson said. “We await the final reports and any recommendations arising from the ATSB’s investigations.”
Investigators identified staffing levels in Sydney Airport’s control tower as a recurring area of inquiry, but they have not concluded that staffing directly contributed to any of the incidents.
“These investigations will look to understand the significance of staff resourcing pressures within the tower, specifically, the practice of combining operational roles, the routine reliance on overtime to fill shifts, and training or supervision activities being conducted alongside operational duties,” Angus Mitchell, the ATSB’s chief commissioner, said in a press release.
The ATSB also raised questions about fatigue while emphasizing that an elevated fatigue risk does not necessarily mean controllers were tired when the incidents occurred.
“We are examining the effectiveness of the measures in place to manage this identified risk,” Mitchell added.
The incidents occurred as Sydney Airport recorded the highest rate of ground conflicts per aircraft movement among Australia’s major airports during the post-COVID period. A separate ATSB analysis found the rate was about 20% higher than the national average.
Mitchell cautioned that the findings should “be viewed in the context of Sydney Airport being the most complex in the country.”
Fox News Digital contacted the ATSB for additional comment and insight.
