Overview
- A Jetstar A320 taxiing for a Gold Coast flight braked sharply on Sunday morning after its crew saw a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed across a crossing taxiway, narrowly avoiding a collision.
- A cabin crew member on the Jetstar plane was injured when the aircraft stopped abruptly and the tug connection to the 777’s nose gear was damaged.
- The Australian Transport Safety Bureau opened a formal safety investigation and is collecting flight data, ATC recordings and CCTV while interviewing pilots, tug operators and controllers.
- Transport officials have stood down a ground controller and a tug operator for mandatory drug and alcohol testing as part of standard procedure while airlines run their own probes.
- The close call adds fresh scrutiny to Sydney Airport’s air traffic control rostering problems after days of departure spacing and flight delays, and could prompt changes to controller staffing and tug‑coordination procedures.