A Virgin Australia Boeing 737 was forced to abort its takeoff at Sydney Airport after its crew saw a Qantas 737 beginning to cross the runway, prompting a new investigation into airport safety and air traffic control procedures.

The incident occurred at about 10am on Thursday, when air traffic control cleared the Virgin aircraft for a full-length departure from runway 34L. At the same time, the Qantas aircraft had been cleared to cross the runway from a taxiway.

As the Virgin crew applied thrust for takeoff, they noticed the Qantas aircraft entering the runway and immediately reduced power, bringing their aircraft to a stop. Air traffic control then cancelled the takeoff clearance. Once the Qantas aircraft had cleared the runway, the Virgin jet was given permission to take off.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has classified the incident as a “runway incursion and rejected takeoff” and has launched an investigation.

The incident comes just days after another serious near-miss at Sydney Airport involving a Jetstar Airbus A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777. The two aircraft reportedly came within about 50 metres of each other on a taxiway. A Jetstar cabin crew member suffered a broken wrist when the aircraft braked suddenly.

There have also been other runway incidents involving Qantas aircraft in recent weeks, prompting growing scrutiny of safety procedures and air traffic control staffing.

Airservices Australia, which manages air navigation services, said it was working with the ATSB and other aviation stakeholders to investigate the recent incidents. The organisation has also acknowledged staffing pressures at Sydney Airport and said it is building a larger pool of standby air traffic controllers.

Transport Minister Catherine King has ordered Airservices Australia chief executive Rob Sharp to address the concerns. Sharp has pledged to increase staffing contingency numbers and improve roster stability.

While authorities have stressed that safety remains the priority, the succession of incidents has intensified questions about whether Sydney Airport’s air traffic control system has sufficient staffing and safeguards to prevent potentially catastrophic runway conflicts.