A Jetstar passenger plane and a Qatar Airways aircraft came close to colliding at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning, resulting in one crew injury and prompting a formal safety investigation.

A near-miss incident between two commercial aircraft occurred at Sydney Airport early Sunday morning when a Jetstar Airbus A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 came into close proximity during ground operations. The Jetstar aircraft was being prepared for departure to the Gold Coast when it encountered the Qatar Airways plane, which was being towed across a taxiway at approximately 7 a.m. Both aircraft came to an abrupt halt to prevent contact.

According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the incident resulted in one injury to a Jetstar cabin crew member, though no passengers were harmed. The Qatar Airways aircraft sustained damage to its nose gear connection point with the tug that was towing it. Jetstar stated that its pilots had been following air traffic control instructions when they were forced to brake suddenly as the other aircraft approached. The affected Jetstar flight was subsequently cancelled, and passengers were rebooked onto later services.

The ATSB has initiated a formal investigation into the near-miss. The inquiry is expected to include interviews with flight crew members, tug operators, air traffic controllers and other witnesses, along with a review of available CCTV footage. The incident occurs during a period of reported staffing challenges affecting air traffic control operations at Sydney Airport, which have contributed to recent flight delays. This incident follows another near-miss involving two Qantas aircraft at the same airport on July 27.