Airlink has withdrawn its application to conduct a third fly-past before the Springboks face the All Blacks at FNB Stadium this weekend, as the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) investigates the airline’s controversial operation over Cape Town.
The proposed flight was due to take place in Johannesburg before the highly anticipated Test. However, Airlink has removed its application while the aviation regulator continues its compliance review into the airline’s fly-past at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium on 29 August.
The SACAA said Airlink informed it on Wednesday, 2 September, that it would no longer seek approval for the planned third operation.
The decision follows an investigation launched after questions were raised about the circumstances surrounding the 29 August flight, which took place shortly before the Springboks played the All Blacks in Cape Town.
As part of its inquiry, the SACAA has held discussions with Airlink, obtained data downloads from the aircraft’s flight recorder and asked the airline to provide further information. That material is now being assessed.
The regulator said it needed additional details before it could reach an informed position. Once its assessment is complete, the SACAA will provide Airlink with a full report and recommendations.
The low-level fly-past over DHL Stadium remains under scrutiny even though it had received regulatory approval before taking place.
Airlink had submitted three separate applications for fly-pasts connected to the Tests in Mzansi. The first was approved by the SACAA and carried out at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 22 August.
The 29 August flight in Cape Town represented the second application. The third was scheduled for this weekend at FNB Stadium, but that application has now been withdrawn.
According to the SACAA, all three applications were submitted under the regulations covering non-passenger and non-cargo-carrying flights in terms of Part 91.06.32.
For the Cape Town operation, Airlink provided the required application and supporting documents. The airline also completed a simulator practice flight and a safety briefing, as required.
The SACAA subsequently authorised the fly-past under the rules governing Special Air Events.
However, the authority began its compliance checks after media discussion about what happened during the 29 August operation. It said aviation safety and security compliance remained “paramount and non-negotiable.”
The regulator added that the events of the past weekend had to be examined properly using the available flight data. That process, it said, would determine whether any safety concerns required additional review.
The SACAA also emphasised South Africa’s wider aviation safety record. It said the country had recorded zero fatal accidents in commercial airline operations for more than four decades and that it remained committed to protecting that record.
South Africa is ranked seventh in the world and first in Africa for aviation safety standards by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), according to the SACAA.
For the moment, the planned third Airlink fly-past will not go ahead. The airline’s withdrawal leaves the SACAA to continue examining the much-discussed Cape Town Stadium operation before it shares its findings and recommendations with Airlink.
