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Australian Transport Safety Bureau says air traffic incidents 20% higher at Sydney Airport
October 6th 2026
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released data analysis into ground-based aircraft conflict incidents which showed Sydney Airport had experienced more incidents than other Australian major airports. Read More » Alongside the data analysis, the ATSB has published its preliminary reports into four separate investigations involving near misses at Sydney Airport in July and August this year. The ATSB said it was still examining the involvement of air traffic control in each of the four incidents. However, it did say staff resourcing at the Sydney tower for each of the four incidents had emerged as a recurring area of enquiry. "Nationally, over the decade, reported ground-confliction rates have remained broadly steady," ATSB chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said. "However, Sydney recorded the highest confliction rate per aircraft movement post COVID among the major airports, around 20% above the national average. This should however be viewed in the context of Sydney Airport being the most complex in the country. The analysis also found increases specific to Sydney in potentially high consequence occurrences, including runway incursions, taxiway near collisions and losses of separation attributed to air traffic control actions."
