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

"Both aircraft were stopped abruptly," the statement 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.

Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Qantas, said its aircraft was following instructions from Air Traffic Control when pilots had to brake firmly due to the close proximity of the other aircraft. The airline 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, with government agency Airservices Australia reporting ongoing flight disruptions. This event follows widespread delays the previous day, attributed to Airservices Australia authorizing "departure spacing" due to roster issues with air traffic controllers.

Sources