Two passenger aircraft, a Jetstar A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, came close to colliding on the tarmac at Australia's busiest Sydney Airport on Sunday, August 9, 2026. The Jetstar flight was taxiing for takeoff to the Gold Coast in Queensland when its crew spotted the Qatar Airways plane being towed by an aircraft tug in close proximity on a crossing taxiway, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

"Both aircraft were stopped abruptly," the ATSB said, resulting in injury to a Jetstar cabin crew member who was moving through the cabin. Additionally, the connection between the Boeing 777's nose gear and the aircraft tug was damaged.

A Jetstar spokesperson stated, "Our aircraft was following instructions by Air Traffic Control when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came in close proximity."

The incident has triggered an investigation by the ATSB, which is collecting data from both planes, air traffic control, and interviewing crew and tug operators to determine the cause. Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Australia's national carrier Qantas, is also conducting its own investigation.

Following the near-miss, flights at Sydney Airport experienced delays, as reported by government agency Airservices Australia. This incident occurred a day after Sydney Airport faced widespread delays due to Airservices Australia authorizing "departure spacing" amid roster issues with air traffic controllers.

Sources