Major airport suffers fourth near miss in recent months as jet is forced to brake hard
Transport safety officials revealed staffing levels and fatigue at Sydney Airport's control tower as key areas of inquiry after recent runway incursions in three months.
TL;DR
- Sydney Airport is facing scrutiny over a series of runway incidents and near-collisions involving passenger aircraft over the past three months.
- Preliminary reports from the ATSB highlight several incidents, including aircraft being cleared to cross runways in front of others and a jet forced to brake abruptly, causing an injury.
- Key areas of investigation include staffing levels at Sydney Airport's control tower, the practice of combining operational roles, reliance on overtime, and training activities.
- Potential controller fatigue is also being examined as a heightened risk factor, though not directly linked to the incidents.
- Sydney Airport recorded the highest rate of ground conflicts per aircraft movement among Australia's major airports in the post-COVID period.