Plane stunt causes alarm as aircraft pass metres above rugby stadium
Airlink said the flyover was approved and rehearsed, with flight data showing both jets stayed within safety limits.
- On Saturday, August 29, 2026, two Airlink Embraer 190 passenger jets performed a low-altitude flyover at Cape Town Stadium, passing just 12m above the roof before a rugby match attended by around 56,000 people.
- Airlink, a sponsor of the South African rugby team, defended the maneuver on Sunday, insisting the flight was carefully planned and executed within approved safety limits for speed and altitude.
- Chris Martinus, president of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association South Africa, warned that flying at such low altitudes leaves pilots with insufficient room to maneuver if an emergency occurs.
- South African officials, including Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, backed the airline, praising the pilots' skill and defending the flyby as spectacular.
- The stunt highlighted a split between global aviation concerns and the domestic tradition of stadium flybys that dates back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup, despite international debates over safety risks.
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Two passenger planes a few tens of meters from the stands: the images of the overflight of DHL Stadium in Cape Town impressed the audience before the rugby challenge between South Africa and New Zealand on August 29. Airlink's two Embraers, with liveries dedicated to Springboks and All Blacks, have gone to a very low altitude: according to Flightradar24 data, the first aircraft would pass less than 15 meters from the roof. The company explained …
Airline Defends 'Uncomfortable' Flyover Above Packed Stadium
Onlookers are calling attention to the safety risk of flying two passenger jets just feet above a stadium, while at the same time applauding the skills of the pilots. Two Airlink jets screamed just above Cape Town's DHL Stadium ahead of Saturday's South Africa–New Zealand rugby match, with flight data...
Two passenger jets are thundering over a fully-occupied stadium in South Africa with a tiny safety distance. The airline is thrilled – the campaign is shaking its head internationally.
60,000 people are waiting for the rugby duel between South Africa and New Zealand, when two planes rush over the fully occupied stadium in an extreme low flight.
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