An airline has defended the safety of a ceremonial flyover at a rugby Test match after viral footage caused concern about how low the aircrafts passed over DHL Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.Flightradar24, a platform which tracks live flight data, calculated that two Airlink planes flew less than 50ft (15metres) over the 55,000-capacity stadium before Saturday’s second Test match between South Africa and New Zealand. Footage of the flyover went viral on social media, appearing to show the lead aircraft coming closest to the stadium.Airlink, which also operated a flyover for the first Test between the two sides on August 22, said in a statement on Sunday that, according to its flight data, the manoeuvre was performed within the South African Civil Aviation Authority’s (SACAA) “approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits.”
Airlink statement on the flyby at Cape Town DHL Stadiumhttps://t.co/q2uRulGAhF#ArriveAlive #Flyby @Fly_Airlink @Springboks @AllBlacks @RugbyFifteen @Dotransport pic.twitter.com/iO3VbrTaS5
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) August 30, 2026“Airlink notes the concerns expressed in various social media and online forums regarding yesterday’s formation flyby over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium,” reads a widely-reported statement, via Arrive Alive — a South African transport website.
