South African aviation authorities are investigating a low-altitude flyover by two Airlink passenger jets before a rugby match at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium due to safety concerns. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has collected flight data recordings and additional information from Airlink for evaluation. A comprehensive report with recommendations will be released once the review is concluded.
Following the scrutiny, Airlink has canceled plans for another flyover at an upcoming rugby match in Soweto. The initial flyover, which occurred before the Springboks-All Blacks rugby match on Aug. 29, received enthusiastic cheers from the approximately 56,000 spectators. However, video footage of the event shared online raised safety debates.
Deandra Peters, a 25-year-old pilot and aviation enthusiast, who attended her first live rugby match, mentioned that the atmosphere within the stadium during the flyover was exhilarating and hard to capture on video. Airlink stated that the flyover was meticulously planned and rehearsed with safety as the top priority at every stage. The airline highlighted that each aircraft had three senior captains with a combined flight experience of over 75,000 hours.
Acknowledging the mixed reactions, Airlink’s CEO, de Villiers Engelbrecht, expressed that the airline did not intend to attract attention or overshadow the rugby event. The SACAA confirmed that Airlink had applied for three flyovers, with the recent one in Cape Town being the second, following the first in Johannesburg on Aug. 22, both approved in compliance with special air event regulations.
Airlink has withdrawn its application for a flyover scheduled for Sept. 5 over Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium due to unfavorable weather conditions. South African rugby has a history of stadium flybys during major matches, dating back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. The recent flyover, although drawing international attention, raised concerns among aviation experts regarding the safety margin of the aircraft’s low-altitude maneuvers.