Airlink defends low-altitude Springboks flypast after online backlash
Key Takeaways
- •Flightradar24 data showed one of Airlink's two jets cleared the DHL Stadium roof in Cape Town by less than 15 metres during the flypast.
- •Airlink's parent company said the manoeuvre was performed within approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast.
- •Each aircraft was flown by a crew of three senior captains serving as commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer.
- •Low-altitude flypasts by commercial passenger aircraft over crowded stadiums are rare worldwide, with such displays usually left to military teams.
- •Airlink is scheduled to perform a third flypast in three weeks at the 95,000-capacity FNB Stadium in Soweto ahead of the next Test, with the Springboks–All Blacks series level at 1-1.
Airlink, the Qatar Airways-backed South African airline, has defended a double flypast performed over South Africa's rugby union Test match against New Zealand after the manoeuvre drew criticism online.
Two passenger jets flew above the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, with flight tracking website Flightradar24 reporting that one of the two aircraft cleared the arena's roof by less than 15 metres. Whether the move demonstrated skill or recklessness has been the subject of heated online debate since, but Airlink's parent company, SA Airlink Pty Ltd, stated that the manoeuvre was carried out within "approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast".
Airlink statement on the flyby at Cape Town DHL Stadium #ArriveAlive #Flyby @Fly_Airlink @Springboks @AllBlacks @RugbyFifteen @Dotransport pic.twitter.com/iO3VbrTaS5 — Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) August 30, 2026
The debate reflects the unusual nature of the event: low-altitude flypasts by commercial passenger aircraft over crowded stadiums are rare in most parts of the world, where such displays are typically left to military demonstration teams operating under separate regulatory frameworks.
The airline had also carried out a two-plane flypast at the first Test of a four-match series between the Springboks and the All Blacks. Next week's fixture takes place in Johannesburg with the series level at 1-1, and a fourth high-profile match will be staged at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium.
Airlink safety demonstration
In its statement, the airline emphasised the experience of its crews: "The two aircraft were flown by highly experienced crew, with each comprised of three senior captains operating in the roles of commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer."
South Africa has a long history of passenger aircraft flypasts at rugby union internationals. A South African Airways Boeing 747 famously flew over Ellis Park ahead of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Elsewhere, such as in the United States, flypasts are more commonly performed by military jets.
Airlink is set to perform a third flypast in three weeks this weekend at the 95,000-capacity FNB Stadium in Soweto, ahead of the next Test match — a schedule that keeps the airline in the public eye as the online discussion over the Cape Town manoeuvre continues.
New Zealand took an early lead in the series, dubbed Rugby's Greatest Rivalry — a month-long contest comparable to the British and Irish Lions tours — with a 33-16 victory over the Springboks in Johannesburg. The host nation levelled the series in Cape Town, however, defeating the All Blacks 33-26.
