Airlink has confirmed that the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is examining flight data from its flypast over Cape Town Stadium before Saturday’s Springboks v All Blacks Test.
Two branded Airlink Embraer aircraft took part in the display as the ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ match was about to begin. One aircraft was painted black, while the other featured the airline’s green and gold colours.
Footage of the flypast spread rapidly on social media, with the black aircraft appearing to pass extremely close to the stadium roof. Several commentators, including commercial pilots, raised questions about whether the aircraft had operated at an unsafe altitude.
Data published by flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft came within a small distance of the stadium. The black Embraer E195 was recorded at an altitude that placed it approximately 12.5 to 14 metres above the roof at one point during the flight.
Flightradar24 said the aircraft’s lowest recorded ADS-B altitude was approximately 50 feet at standard pressure. After correcting for local pressure, that was equivalent to about 205 to 210 feet above mean sea level.
Cape Town Stadium stands approximately 164 feet above sea level. On that basis, the tracking platform calculated that the aircraft was roughly 41 to 46 feet above the roof, with its actual altitude estimated at approximately 62 to 64 metres above sea level.
The limited vertical separation between the aircraft and the stadium prompted considerable concern, although Airlink has defended the operation.
“The flight demanded careful planning and rehearsal, as it required navigating at low altitude, at around 150 knots,” the airline said in a message sent to The South African.
Airlink said the aircraft were flown by highly experienced crews, with senior captains in command. Each aircraft also carried a co-pilot and a technical officer.
The airline said the flypast had been conducted safely and with the involvement of the relevant aviation authorities. It has now voluntarily supplied data from both aircraft’s digital flight data recorders to the SACAA.
According to Airlink, the information will allow the authority to establish independently whether the flights complied with the authorised conditions for the display.
“The data recorded by both aircraft’s digital flight data recorders indicate that the flights were performed within the SACAA’s approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast,” Airlink said.
The SACAA is reviewing the recordings, and Airlink said it would not comment further while that process is continuing.
Under normal South African Civil Aviation regulations, aircraft are generally required to remain at least 300 metres above built-up areas and 900 metres above open-air assemblies, including stadiums.
However, a SACAA commissioner can grant an exemption for a specific event. The altitude used during the Airlink display would therefore have required specific authorisation.
Airlink said the SACAA and Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) had provided guidance, approval and support to enable the flypast to take place safely.
The operation has prompted debate among aviation enthusiasts, rugby supporters and pilots. Airlink maintains that the display was authorised and carried out within its approved safety parameters, but images showing the aircraft passing only metres above the roof have led to questions over the margin for error.
The SACAA’s review should establish how the aircraft performed and whether the flypast met the conditions attached to its authorisation. For now, Airlink says the recorded data supports its claim that both flights stayed within the approved limits.
