Two passenger aircraft, a Jetstar A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, nearly collided on the tarmac at Australia's busiest Sydney Airport on Sunday, August 9th, 2026. The Jetstar plane was taxiing for takeoff to the Gold Coast in Queensland when its flight crew noticed the Qatar Airways aircraft, which was 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. This sudden stop resulted in a Jetstar cabin crew member, who was moving through the cabin, sustaining injuries. Additionally, the connection between the Boeing 777's nose gear and the aircraft tug was damaged.

Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Australia's national carrier Qantas, stated that their aircraft was following instructions from Air Traffic Control when the pilots had to brake firmly due to the close proximity of the other aircraft. Jetstar is conducting its own investigation alongside the ATSB, which is gathering data from both 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, as reported by government agency Airservices Australia. This event occurred a day after Sydney Airport experienced widespread delays linked to Airservices Australia authorizing "departure spacing" due to roster issues with air traffic controllers.

The ATSB has called for witnesses at the airport to provide any visuals of the incident to aid their investigation.

Sources