Controller shortage puts Sydney Airport safety under scrutiny

Sydney Airport is facing intensifying scrutiny over air traffic control staffing after a cluster of runway and taxiway incidents exposed pressure on a system already struggling with delays, overtime and shortages of experienced controllers.

Three safety events within two weeks have prompted investigations by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and raised questions about whether staffing resilience at the country’s busiest airport is keeping pace with traffic demand. Airservices Australia, which manages air traffic control, has acknowledged staffing difficulties and is moving to expand standby capacity and introduce more stable rosters.

The most serious examination centres on an August 9 runway incursion involving Virgin Australia flight VA555, bound for Perth, and Qantas flight QF728, heading to Ayers Rock Airport. The Virgin Boeing 737 had been cleared for a full-length take-off from runway 34L when its pilots saw the Qantas Boeing 737 beginning to cross the runway ahead from a taxiway.

Virgin’s crew reduced thrust and stopped the aircraft as air traffic control cancelled the take-off clearance. The Qantas pilots reported that they had also received clearance to cross. No one was injured and neither aircraft was damaged.

Airservices said the aircraft remained more than one kilometre apart when the clearances were withdrawn. The incident was not immediately considered to meet mandatory reporting criteria, although it was subsequently referred for investigation. The delay in reporting added to scrutiny of how potentially significant operational events are assessed and escalated.

About three hours earlier on August 9, a Jetstar Airbus A320 taxiing for a flight to the Gold Coast encountered a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed across a taxiway. The Jetstar pilots braked firmly after seeing the Boeing 777 in close proximity. One crew member suffered a minor injury. Investigators are examining ground-handling actions, air traffic instructions and the movement of the tug and aircraft.

Another incident occurred on July 27 involving a QantasLink Bombardier DHC-8 arriving from Canberra and a Qantas Boeing 737 arriving from Queenstown. The Boeing was cleared to cross runway 34L while the turboprop was still completing its landing roll. Air traffic control detected the conflict and warned both crews, with the Boeing stopping after passing the holding point.

The investigations have unfolded alongside widespread disruption at Sydney Airport caused by shortages of controllers available for particular shifts. More than 150 flights were delayed during one weekend as traffic movements were reduced to keep operations within safe staffing limits.

Airservices maintains that staffing shortages do not mean safety standards are relaxed. When fewer controllers are available, the organisation reduces the number of aircraft movements and increases spacing, protecting safety at the expense of airport capacity and punctuality.

The disruption has nevertheless highlighted weaknesses in workforce planning. A pandemic-era departure programme in 2021 resulted in about 140 experienced controllers leaving the organisation, creating a loss of specialist capability that has proved difficult to replace as aviation activity recovered.

Training replacements is lengthy and demanding. New controllers typically require about 18 months or longer of training, while qualification for complex airport positions can take additional time. Controllers must be certified for individual operational roles, meaning an increase in total national staffing does not automatically resolve shortages at Sydney Tower.

Airservices added 109 controllers during the 2025-26 financial year and says the number of controllers nationally has reached a record level. Another 95 people are expected to gain air traffic control endorsements by the end of 2026, with Sydney among the locations receiving priority.

Chief executive Rob Sharp has announced plans to build a larger pool of standby controllers at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, reduce reliance on overtime and improve roster stability. New rostering arrangements are expected to begin from early September.

Transport Minister Catherine King summoned Sharp for discussions after several days of disruption and described the delays as unacceptable. The government has backed measures to improve staffing while stressing that controllers must restrict traffic whenever operational resources fall below required levels.

The Civil Air union has argued that the central problem is not simply unexpected sick leave but too few appropriately qualified controllers available to cover demanding rosters. Controllers can be called on scheduled days off, increasing concerns about fatigue, burnout and long-term retention.

Pressure on the workforce is also increasing as the aviation network expands. Western Sydney International Airport is adding new airspace-management requirements, while Airservices has taken on additional responsibilities including airspace around Ballina in northern New South Wales.

The Sydney incidents are being investigated separately, and investigators have not established that controller shortages caused each event. The Jetstar-Qatar occurrence, for example, includes examination of ground-handling procedures and the actions of the aircraft tug.

The pattern has nonetheless focused attention on whether staffing, training, supervision and reporting systems provide enough resilience at a highly complex airport. Investigators examining the August 9 Virgin-Qantas event have classified it as involving an information or procedural error, loss of separation, rejected take-off and runway incursion.