South African airline defends low-altitude flyover of packed stadium in Cape Town
Airline Airlink has defended a low-level flyby of two jets over Cape Town's DHL Stadium before a South Africa–New Zealand rugby test, which drew both cheers and safety concerns.
South African carrier Airlink has defended a low-altitude flying manoeuvre performed by its pilots over a packed rugby stadium in Cape Town over the weekend. Two Airlink-operated jets flew directly above the city's DHL Stadium just before a test match between South Africa and New Zealand, drawing cheers from a reported crowd of more than 50,000 spectators.
According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, the lead aircraft passed roughly 41 to 46 feet above the stadium roof. Footage of the flyover spread quickly on social media, sparking mixed reactions, with some users raising concerns about safety.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Airlink defended the manoeuvre, saying it required careful planning and rehearsal since it involved navigating at low altitude at around 150 knots. The airline said South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services had provided guidance, approval and support to help ensure the flyby was carried out safely. Airlink also posted footage and images on X, captioned "Planning. Precision. Performance."
South Africa's Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, praised the stunt as spectacular, saying the country has some of the best pilots in the world and joking that next time he might ask them to land on the field.
Not everyone was impressed, however. Scottish pilot Scott Bateman said he was left "aghast" by the manoeuvre, writing on social media that hundreds of professional aviators worldwide had looked at the images and expressed concern, arguing that such reactions deserved more than a dismissive response. He added that aviation became one of the safest forms of transport not by defending everything that worked, but by closely examining incidents that nearly went wrong.
