In Sydney, Jetstar and Qatar Airways planes nearly collided on the taxiways
At Australia’s busiest airport—Sydney—passenger planes operated by Jetstar and Qatar Airways nearly collided while taxiing on the runways. A Jetstar crew member was injured as a result of the sudden braking. Australian aviation safety authorities have launched an investigation, according to Deutsche Welle.
According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), a Jetstar Airbus A320 was taxiing for takeoff on a flight to the Gold Coast in Queensland. The crew spotted a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 nearby, which was being towed by a tractor on a taxiway that crossed the A320’s path.
Both aircraft came to an abrupt stop. The ATSB reported that a Jetstar flight attendant, who was walking through the cabin at the time, was injured as a result. He was treated by paramedics. The connection between the Boeing 777’s front landing gear and the tow tractor was also damaged.
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ATSB investigators are collecting data from both aircraft and the air traffic control center, as well as interviewing crew members and tow truck operators to determine the cause of the incident. The regulator also called on witnesses to submit photos or videos of the incident to aid the investigation.
Jetstar reported that it is conducting its own investigation. A representative of the carrier stated that the aircraft was following air traffic control instructions, but the pilots had to brake sharply when another aircraft came close. As of this writing, Qatar Airways has not commented on the incident. Flight delays were reported at Sydney Airport following the incident.
