Sydney Airport Stands Down 2 Staff After Jetstar A320 Brakes to Avoid Qatar 777
Updated
Updated · ABC News · Aug 9
Sydney Airport Stands Down 2 Staff After Jetstar A320 Brakes to Avoid Qatar 777
2 articles · Updated · ABC News · Aug 9
Summary
Two Sydney Airport workers — a ground controller and tug operator — were stood down after a Jetstar flight and a Qatar Airways aircraft came into close proximity on the tarmac about 7 a.m.
Jetstar flight JQ402, an A320 bound for the Gold Coast, braked sharply while taxiing to avoid the Qatar Boeing 777; a cabin crew member was injured, but no passengers were hurt.
Transport Minister Catherine King said the stand-down followed standard protocol for mandatory drug and alcohol testing, while Jetstar, Airservices Australia and the ATSB opened investigations.
ATSB said the 777's tug connection was damaged and investigators will review aircraft and ATC data, interviews and CCTV to determine where coordination or communication failed.
The incident hit an airport already under operating restrictions and roster strain — more than 150 flights were recently affected — and came a week after another Sydney near miss now also under investigation.
Did a mechanical tug failure or a critical communication breakdown cause the terrifying tarmac showdown between Jetstar and Qatar Airways?
With multiple recent near misses at Sydney Airport, is systemic understaffing secretly putting thousands of passengers at risk of a catastrophic collision?
Are mandatory drug tests for ground crews just a convenient distraction from the deeper staffing crisis currently crippling Sydney Airport?