Australian safety regulators have launched an investigation after a Jetstar Airbus A320 slammed on its brakes to narrowly avoid a tarmac collision with a towed Qatar Airways Boeing 777 at Sydney Airport, injuring a flight attendant and canceling the flight. 

       On Sunday, August 9, 2026, Australian safety regulators launched an official investigation into a tarmac near-miss collision between a Jetstar Airbus A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. The incident occurred around 7:00 a.m. local time as the Jetstar flight was taxiing for takeoff to the Gold Coast with 151 passengers on board. While following instructions from air traffic control, the Jetstar flight crew spotted the empty Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed by an aircraft tug across an intersecting taxiway, prompting both the Jetstar pilots and the tug operators to slam on the brakes to avoid an impact.

        The sudden, hard braking brought the Jetstar plane to a halt approximately 50 meters from the Qatar jet, but the sudden motion injured a Jetstar cabin crew member, who required medical treatment from paramedics on site. While no passengers were injured, the Jetstar flight was canceled, forcing the airline to rebook travelers onto later services. Additionally, the abrupt stop damaged the tow bar connection between the Qatar aircraft's nose gear and its tug. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is currently examining air traffic control logs, flight data, and CCTV footage while interviewing flight crews and tug operators to determine why the paths crossed. The incident came amid severe air traffic control staffing shortages that caused widespread flight delays across Sydney Airport over the weekend.