Sydney Airport safety lapses spur probe of controller fatigue

Australian air-safety investigators are examining traffic controller fatigue and staffing levels after a series of near-misses at Sydney Airport.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a preliminary report Wednesday into four of the six incidents. They include a Jetstar plane having to brake suddenly while taxiing to avoid a Qatar Airways jet being towed nearby, and a Qantas Airways Boeing 737 being cleared to cross in front of a QantasLink Dash8 aircraft in its landing roll.

While the report doesn’t contain any findings, air traffic control involvement in each incident is still being examined, ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said in a statement.

“Staff resourcing within Sydney Tower at the time of many of the occurrences has emerged as a recurring area of inquiry,” Mitchell said. “These investigations will look to understand the significance of staff resourcing pressures within the tower, specifically, the practice of combining operational roles, the routine reliance on overtime to fill shifts, and training or supervision activities being conducted alongside operational duties.”

The spate of near-misses has put a spotlight on the shortage of air traffic controllers at the country’s busiest airport and raised concerns about safety. Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson last month called for the chronic shortages to be fixed, saying tens of thousands of passengers are being affected by flight delays.