A Jetstar passenger plane nearly struck a van on the tarmac at Townsville Airport, in an incident picked up by ABC News, Bloomberg, and the NZ Herald around 13 October 2026. The plane performed a low pass over the van during the close call.
The near miss has drawn attention to tarmac safety procedures at the airport. Australian aviation authorities are expected to investigate the incident in the coming days. Ground operations at Townsville Airport will likely come under scrutiny as part of any inquiry.