Melbourne air safety scrutinised after “near miss”

Melbourne air safety scrutinised after “near miss”

Safety procedures at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport have come under scrutiny following a “near miss” involving three aircraft last July.

Senator Nick Xenophon raised serious concerns over the incident when two Qantas Boeing 737s were in the air preparing to land as an Emirates Boeing 777 was cleared for take-off. As it gathered speed, a Qantas plane appeared on the radar behind it, getting ready to land on the same runway as the second Qantas aircraft approached from the right.

Both Qantas pilots aborted their landings, averting disaster.

The incident was filmed by a Qantas passenger.

Xenophon blamed a “series of systemic failings” by Airservices Australia for what he described as a “near miss”.

However, Airservices Australia insisted in a statement that there had been no threat to passenger safety during the incident.

Image credit: iStock

Latest News