Hundreds of passengers were aboard two aircraft that came terrifyingly close to striking construction workers during takeoff from Melbourne Airport, with one plane clearing personnel by less than five feet.
A new safety investigation reveals both incidents occurred within an eleven-day period after the runway had been significantly shortened for maintenance works, raising serious questions about communication procedures.
The Critical Incidents
According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report, a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 bound for Kuala Lumpur became the first aircraft to overrun the shortened runway on November 12, 2025.
The jet passed directly over construction vehicles and workers at an altitude of approximately seven feet during its departure.
Just eleven days later, a Bamboo Airways Boeing 787 experienced an identical incident while taking off for Hanoi, Vietnam.
This second aircraft came even closer to ground personnel, clearing construction works by less than five feet.
Runway Shortening and Communication Failures
The investigation determined that Melbourne Airport's runway had been temporarily reduced from its normal 12,000 feet to approximately 6,853 feet to accommodate resurfacing works.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell stated: "Neither flight crew identified that the runway was significantly shortened, despite the relevant NOTAM being provided in their flight briefing packs."
While both crews had accessed version of the ATIS that mentioned the shortened runway, they only noted weather information to air traffic control rather than the critical detail about the reduced runway length.
Aftermath and Safety Changes
Miraculously, no physical injuries were reported from either incident, though one worker suffered a stress-related injury following the second near-miss.
The ATSB confirmed that jet blast from both aircraft impacted the works area where personnel and equipment were present.
Following the investigation, Airservices Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority have implemented procedural changes aimed at providing "essential aerodrome information associated with runway works that reduce available runway lengths" more effectively to flight crews.
The report noted that while flight dispatchers had accounted for the temporary runway length before takeoff, this critical information wasn't specifically highlighted during the crews' pre-flight briefings.
