South Africa’s aviation authority is reviewing a low flypast by two Airlink passenger jets that occurred before a rugby match at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium, citing safety concerns. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has obtained flight data recordings and requested additional information from the airline as part of its assessment.
"It is therefore critical that we interrogate this past weekend’s events … to determine if there were any safety concerns which warrant a review," the SACAA said in a statement. The agency is responsible for regulating aviation safety and security.
The flyover ahead of the Springboks-All Blacks rugby match on Aug. 29 drew cheers from an estimated crowd of 56,000 people. However, video footage of the maneuver spread online, sparking a debate over potential safety risks.
Airlink stated that the flypast was carefully planned and rehearsed, with safety as its primary consideration. The airline reported that three senior captains with more than 75,000 combined flight hours were aboard each aircraft. Earlier this week, Airlink provided the data from the planes' black boxes to the civil aviation authority for review.
The regulator confirmed that the airline had applied for three flyovers. The most recent one in Cape Town was the second; the first occurred in Johannesburg on Aug. 22. Both were approved in accordance with requirements for special air events. Airlink has since withdrawn its application for a flyover scheduled for Sept. 1 over Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, citing unfavorable forecast weather conditions.
South African rugby has a tradition of stadium flybys at major matches, dating back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. However, last Saturday's flyby was noted for its unusually low altitude and dramatic execution, drawing international attention and prompting some aviation experts to question the margin for error.