Two workers temporarily stood down after near-collision at Sydney airport

Transport minister says improved staff rostering will be in place from next month after ‘unacceptable’ delays and incident involving Qatar Airways and Jetstar planes Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The federal transport minister, Catherine King, has said improved staff rostering will be in place at Sydney airport from next month after “unacceptable” delays and a near-collision that resulted in two workers being stood down. King called in the Airservices Australia chief executive officer, Rob Sharp, for a meeting in Canberra on Monday, the day after a Jetstar plane narrowly avoided hitting a Qatar Airways plane that was pulled across the runway in front of it. Two staff involved in the incident – an Airservices Australia air traffic controller and the tug driver who was towing the Qatar plane – were stood down while they completed standard post-incident drug and alcohol testing. The temporary loss of an air traffic controller only exacerbated delays at Australia’s biggest airport, where staff shortages had already resulted in days of disruption. Additionally, a cabin crew member onboard the Jetstar pl