On Sunday, August 9th, 2026, two passenger planes—a Jetstar A320 taxiing for takeoff to the Gold Coast, Queensland, and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed by an aircraft tug—nearly collided on the tarmac at Australia's busiest Sydney Airport.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reported that the Jetstar flight crew noticed the Qatar Airways plane in close proximity on a crossing taxiway. Both aircraft were stopped abruptly, 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.

Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Qantas, stated their aircraft was following Air Traffic Control instructions when the pilots had to brake firmly due to the close proximity of the other plane. Jetstar is conducting its own investigation alongside the ATSB, which is gathering data from the planes, air traffic control, and interviewing crew and tug operators to determine the cause of the near collision.

The incident has also caused delays at Sydney Airport, according to government agency Airservices Australia. This event occurred a day after Sydney Airport experienced widespread delays due to Airservices Australia authorizing "departure spacing" amid air traffic controller roster issues.

Sources