More than 150 flights faced delays at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport on August 9, 2026, after two planes nearly collided on the tarmac. The incident involved a Jetstar Airways aircraft taxiing out from its bay near Terminal 2 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed to a remote parking stand. The near-miss required the Jetstar pilots to brake firmly to avoid collision.
Jetstar said the aircraft was following Air Traffic Control instructions when it was forced to stop due to close proximity with the Qatar Airways plane. Airservices Australia, the air traffic manager, is reviewing the event and assisting
with a safety investigation. Following the incident, Airservices Australia implemented enforced departure spacing at Sydney Airport to safely manage projected airborne and departure traffic.
The disruption from the near collision caused operational delays affecting over 150 flights at the airport on August 9. Jetstar is coordinating with other airlines to mitigate the impact on passenger travel and reduce further delays caused by the incident and subsequent safety measures.
A Jetstar representative said, “Our aircraft was following instructions by Air Traffic Control when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came in close proximity. We have commenced an
investigation into the incident.” Data from Flightradar24 confirmed the Qatar Airways Boeing 777 was operating on behalf of Virgin Australia and had arrived earlier at Terminal 1 before being towed near Terminal 2 where the incident occurred.
Jetstar, Australia’s leading budget airline, recently announced new charges for overhead luggage bins effective from next year. Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport continues to manage some of the highest air traffic volumes in Australia, requiring careful coordination during and after incidents such as this.
