South African aviation authorities are reviewing a low-altitude flyover by two Airlink passenger planes at an international rugby match in Cape Town last weekend. The regional airline, meanwhile, said it had canceled another flypast scheduled for Saturday's rugby test between South Africa and New Zealand in Johannesburg this weekend, citing unfavorable weather. In a statement, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said it was carrying out a "compliance verification" of the August 29 flyover at Cape Town's DHL stadium to ensure "all safety protocols were adhered to by the crew." Footage of the flyby, showing two planes in formation passing over the crowd, was widely shared on social media and prompted discussion about potential safety risks.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the lead aircraft passed less than 15 meters (50 feet) above the top of the packed stadium. The SACAA said it was analyzing flight data provided by Airlink and would go over additional information requested from the carrier before issuing a report. The regulator said the airline had made applications for the flyovers, which were approved in line with the requirements for special air events.
Airlink, for its part, said the maneuver had been carefully planned and rehearsed, with safety being "the first consideration at every stage of the process." It said each aircraft had three senior captains on board with a combined 75,000 hours of flying experience. Nevertheless, it also recognized what it described as the "valid questions and concerns." Airlink Chief Executive de Villiers Engelbrecht said the decision had been made to withdraw plans for this weekend's stadium flypast in Johannesburg because "the forecast weather points to unfavorable conditions for a safe formation flyby." Stadium flybys have long been tradition at major rugby matches in South Africa, dating back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg, when a Boeing 747 swept overhead before the Springboks faced the All Blacks. The SACAA said in a statement that South Africa "is ranked seventh globally and first in Africa for our aviation safety standards by the International Civil Aviation Organization." There have been no fatal accidents in its commercial airline operations space for over four decades, it added.
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