Airline Defends Aerial Stunt After 2 of Its Planes Flew 50 Feet Above Stadium Packed with 50,000 Fans

Two passenger jets flew less than 50 feet above a packed stadium in South Africa over the weekend

Airlink, which operates the aircraft, defended the maneuver and cited careful planning, rehearsals and approval from aviation authorities

A similar flyover gained attention during the 1995 rugby World Cup in South Africa and was featured in the film Invictus

An airline is doubling down on its decision to fly two commercial jets less than 50 feet above a stadium packed with thousands of fans.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, two Embraer aircraft from South Africa-based carrier Airlink completed a low flyover at 55,000-seat DHL Stadium in Cape Town ahead of a rugby Test match between South Africa and New Zealand.

Footage of the aerial stunt quickly went viral on social media , with many praising the display from Airlink. The airline is the official sponsor of "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry," a four-match Test series between the two countries.

FlightRadar24 , an online flight tracker that uses real-time aviation data, later revealed that the "lead aircraft passed less than 50 feet above the top of the stadium." While some considered it to be a reckless maneuver, the airline defended the flyover online.

"Planning. Precision. Performance," Airlink wrote in the caption of a Facebook post alongside photos of the stunt on Saturday. "Spectacular scenes of Airlink's double Embraer flyover at the DHL Stadium."

In a statement shared with a local government news website , Airlink defended its actions further, saying, "The flight demanded careful planning and rehearsal, as it required navigating at low altitude," Airlink said. "The South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services provided valuable guidance, approval and support to ensure a safe flyby."

The carrier noted that both aircraft were flown by highly experienced crews, each with its own commander, co-pilot and safety or technical officer.

"It's a well known fact that we have the best pilots in the world, that was spectacular," South Africa's Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie wrote in a Sunday, Aug. 30, X post.

This isn't the first time a stadium flyover in South Africa has captured international attention. Before the start of the 1995 rugby World Cup, a South African Airways jet flew over a Johannesburg stadium carrying the message "Good luck Bokke," a nod to South Africa's national rugby team, the Springboks.

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The match was later recreated in the 2009 film Invictus , starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar.