AUSTRALIA’S aviation safety regulator has launched an investigation into a fourth air traffic control incident at Sydney Airport in less than a month after two Qantas aircraft were directed towards the same intersection on the ground.
.The Boeing had been cleared to continue along a taxiway onto which the A321 had also been cleared to turn, creating the potential for a ground conflict.
Reuters cited the ATSB saying there was no immediate risk of a collision but would investigate whether factors contributing to the latest incident were common to three other incidents at the airport over the past month.
"The evidence collection phase of the investigation will involve interviewing involved air traffic controllers and flight crew, retrieving and reviewing available recorded data, and the collection of other relevant information," the ATSB said.
A preliminary report is expected within six to eight weeks.
The latest incident follows a series of close calls at one of Australia’s busiest airports that have raised questions over air traffic control coordination and operational procedures.
On July 27, two Qantas aircraft narrowly avoided a collision after a QantasLink Dash 8 completing a landing and a Qantas Boeing 737, whose pilots reported having been cleared to cross the same runway, came into conflict.
The Boeing was able to stop, although it had already crossed the safety hold point.
On Aug 9, a Jetstar Airbus A320 had to brake suddenly on the tarmac to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, leaving a cabin crew member injured.
On the same day, a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 cleared for take-off spotted a Qantas aircraft crossing the runway ahead and stopped about 1km (0.62 miles) short of the other aircraft, which had also been cleared to cross.
The incidents have emerged amid separate concerns raised by an air traffic controller over preparations for complex airspace and procedural changes linked to the opening of a new international airport in western Sydney.
The ATSB said on Thursday it had received a report from the controller in early June claiming airport staff had not been given sufficient time to prepare for the changes, which came into effect on July 9.
The report said more than 50 controllers at the airport had responded to a union survey, with most expressing concern over the limited time available to absorb "an enormous amount of highly detailed and complex material" before the changes took effect.
The controller also drew comparisons with air traffic control concerns in Washington, D.C., before the deadly mid-air collision in January 2025, saying staff had similarly raised concerns with local management in the months preceding the accident.
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which examined the report, however, found that Airservices Australia, the government entity responsible for employing air traffic controllers, had implemented appropriate training, procedures and operational support arrangements for the changes.
The ATSB’s latest investigation is expected to examine whether broader systemic issues contributed to the growing number of air traffic control incidents at Sydney Airport. - August 21, 2026
