Former Qantas pilot calls for change at Sydney Airport after string of near-misses and safety incidents
Six incidents between passenger aircraft were recorded on the tarmac in just one month.
A former Qantas pilot has called for changes at Sydney Airport after a string of near-misses and safety incidents, but has insisted passengers remain safe.
Six safety incidents between passenger aircraft were recorded on the tarmac in just one month, including two incidents now under investigation.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sydney Airport faces six near-misses in one month
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The incidents have placed the airport’s safety record under scrutiny as Australia’s skies are set to become even busier, with Western Sydney International Airport scheduled to open in October, and the Christmas travel rush only months away.
Former Qantas pilot Richard de Crespigny told Sunrise on Thursday the number of incidents was about 50 per cent higher than at Brisbane Airport, but stressed their reporting was evidence of a strong safety culture.
“We’re hearing about this because they’re reporting them,” he said.
“All these incidents are low-threat. In other words, yes, there are errors being made, but the pilots and ground crew are picking up the errors, and they’re preventing it from escalating.”
De Crespigny said no equipment had been damaged and no passengers injured in the recent incidents, although an airline staff member was hurt when an aircraft braked heavily on the tarmac several weeks ago.
“These are things that happen all the time in aviation that are caught and prevented. Accidents are prevented,” he said.
“There are simple errors that are being made ... safety has not been affected; we have to remind the passengers you are safe, the system’s working.”
An Airservices Australia spokesperson said the two occurrences at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport happened on August 16 and 25, and involved aircraft taxiing on the ground.
“While the ATSB has stated that neither occurrence posed an immediate risk of collision, reporting and examining operational incidents is an important part of the aviation safety system and Airservices reported both occurrences in accordance with our standard safety reporting procedures,” the spokesperson said.
“Since January 2021, Airservices has reported an average of 34.1 occurrences per month at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, as well as 21.3 at Brisbane, and 12.2 at Melbourne. The number of reports made by Airservices to the ATSB regarding occurrences in Sydney during August is consistent with average reporting levels.
“Airservices reviews reportable occurrences in accordance with established safety processes and will cooperate fully with the ATSB investigations. We will consider any findings or recommendations from those investigations and take appropriate action to maintain safe operations.”
Calls for radio frequency changes
Despite reassuring passengers, de Crespigny said the incidents highlighted procedures that could be strengthened.
He called for all aircraft and vehicles operating on or crossing an active runway to use the same radio frequency, allowing everyone involved to hear instructions and understand what is happening around them.
“At the moment, you’ve got taxiing aircraft on one frequency, crossing an active runway where the pilots are on another. And that has to stop,” he said.
“This is what happens overseas, so everyone can get a situational awareness of what’s going on around them, and all those groups can take part in maintaining safety.”
De Crespigny also suggested artificial intelligence could be used to monitor airport operations in the background and alert pilots, controllers and ground crews when a potential conflict emerged
Questions ahead of new airport opening
The incidents come as Western Sydney International Airport prepares to begin operations in October, adding another major facility to the city’s increasingly busy aviation network.
De Crespigny said air traffic services will be managed remotely, while aircraft are expected to move regularly between Western Sydney and Sydney Airport.
Amid broader concerns about potential air traffic controlled shortages, de Crespigny called on Airservices Australia to disclose how staffing would be managed when the new airport opened.
He said greater transparency was needed about the number of controllers who would be responsible for overseeing operations and how traffic between the two airports would be safely coordinated.
Originally published on Sunrise
