Australia’s aviation safety regulator has opened investigations into two additional incidents at Sydney Airport, adding to a growing number of recent safety events at the country’s busiest airport.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced the investigations on Wednesday after two aircraft taxiing incidents occurred within days of each other.
One incident involved a Virgin Australia aircraft and a Qantas aircraft on August 16. The second involved a Jetstar aircraft and a Bombardier aircraft on August 25.
The latest investigations bring the number of Sydney Airport incidents being examined by authorities in the past month to six.
The incidents involve aircraft movements on the ground rather than crashes, but the growing number has attracted increased attention because Sydney Airport operates with heavy traffic and limited space.
The ATSB is responsible for investigating transport safety occurrences and identifying factors that could contribute to future incidents.
The regulator has previously raised concerns about reporting delays following another incident at the airport earlier this month.
In one case, a flight reportedly crossed a runway while another aircraft was preparing to take off more than a kilometre away.
Another incident involved a Jetstar crew member who was injured in a near collision involving a Qatar Airways aircraft on the tarmac.
The series of events has prompted questions about procedures used to coordinate aircraft movements around Sydney Airport.
The airport is one of Australia’s busiest aviation hubs, handling domestic and international flights throughout the day. Even relatively minor incidents can therefore have implications for the broader aviation system if they reveal weaknesses in communication, taxiway management or air traffic procedures.
The ATSB’s investigations will examine the circumstances surrounding the two latest events and determine whether safety issues need to be addressed.
The regulator has not suggested that the incidents are connected or that Sydney Airport is unsafe for passengers.
Investigators will instead look at each occurrence individually before considering whether broader lessons can be drawn.
The latest developments come after aviation authorities increased scrutiny of several incidents at the airport earlier this month.
For passengers, the investigations are unlikely to have an immediate impact on normal flight operations. Airlines continue to operate scheduled services from Sydney Airport.
However, the concentration of incidents has placed renewed attention on how aircraft are managed during busy periods.
The ATSB’s findings could ultimately lead to recommendations for airlines, airport operators or air traffic controllers if investigators identify systemic problems.
The regulator’s work will be closely watched by the aviation industry as authorities attempt to establish why several incidents have occurred within such a short period and whether changes are needed to prevent similar events in the future.
