A Jetstar flight preparing to depart Sydney Airport for the Gold Coast almost collided with a Qatar Airways plane at 7am on Sunday.
The Jetstar Airbus 320 pilot was forced to brake suddenly to avoid a collision with the Qatari plane on the tarmac.
The Qatar Airways Boeing 777, which was not carrying any passengers, was being towed by an aircraft tug and received minor damage.
Passenger Dani Brown was on another flight when she took a photo of the planes almost colliding.
"Currently sitting on the tarmac at Sydney Airport 25 minutes after we were meant to leave, because these two planes nearly collided on the tarmac," she said in a post on X.
A Jetstar spokesperson said their aircraft was following instructions from air traffic controllers when the pilots were forced to brake firmly as another aircraft came into "close proximity".
"We have commenced an investigation into the incident," the spokesperson said.
An injured Jetstar crew member received medical attention at the scene.
No passengers were injured.
The Jetstar flight was cancelled and passengers were re-booked on other services to the Gold Coast later on Sunday.
Air traffic control was reportedly operating under restricted hours between 6am and 8am on Sunday, reducing the number of flights arriving and departing due to staffing shortages.
Sunday's incident followed delays to more than 150 flights passing through Sydney on Saturday as airport operations struggled due to a lack of personnel.
Airservices Australia, which oversees air traffic control at the hub, had been unable to roster enough staff for three consecutive days, Airlines for Australia and New Zealand chief executive Stephen Beckett told ABC TV.
Sydney Airport also faced significant issues on Friday, when more than 120 flights were delayed.
Premier Chris Minns said Sunday's incident was concerning, stressing the importance of the airport operating at full capacity.
"We're hopeful that there's a plan in place to recruit more people for a highly specialised but very important job … we're opening a brand new airport in the not-too-distant future, so there'll be even more strain on that service than there is today," he told reporters.
"I know it's hard to employ people, particularly for these specialised services, because we've got a very tight labor market.
"But this isn't a nice-to-have - it's a must-have."
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will collect data from the aircraft involved and air traffic control as part of its probe into the incidents.
Investigators will also interview flight crew, tug operators and air traffic controllers, other witnesses and involved parties, and collect relevant recorded information, including CCTV footage.
The bureau has also called for anyone with video of the incident or its immediate aftermath to make contact.
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