South African airline Airlink has defended a dramatic low-level flyby of two passenger jets over a stadium in Cape Town, saying it was conducted according to safety regulations. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

During the pre-match show, two Embraer jets flew extremely low over the stadium roof. According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, the lead jet passed just 41 to 46 feet (12 to 14 metres) above the roof of Cape Town Stadium. The second jet, flying close behind, passed through a cloud of pink dust that shot up from the stadium roof as part of the show.

Airlink, a sponsor of the South African rugby union team, said the flyby was carefully planned and rehearsed, with the aircraft travelling at around 150 knots (172 mph) when they went over the stadium. Each jet had three senior captains on board, operating as commander, co-pilot, and safety officer. The jets were not carrying any passengers.

Airlink's statement

In a statement on Sunday, Airlink said: "Airlink notes the concerns expressed in various social media and online forums regarding yesterday's formation flyby over Cape Town's DHL Stadium. The flight demanded careful planning and rehearsal, as it required navigating at low altitude, at around 150 knots. The South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services provided valuable guidance, approval and support to ensure a safe flyby."

Tradition and criticism

South African rugby union has a tradition of stadium flybys at big games, starting when a Boeing 747 flew over another stadium in Johannesburg before the 1995 World Cup final. But this weekend's flyby was especially low and dramatic, generating global interest.

Some aviation experts questioned whether the margin for error was too small. Chris Martinus, president of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association South Africa, said: "Basically, that lead aircraft ... was kind of like dodging over the roof and climbing over the one side and dipping below and then climbing over the other side. That was a little bit uncomfortable. [If] something adverse happens, you just don't have options at that kind of altitude."

Experts' warning

Keith Tonkin, an Australian aviation consultant and former military and commercial pilot, warned that the Embraer passenger jets were not designed for such low-level operations. He said: "The bigger picture is that a benchmark has been established and others may expect to do something similar, and that's not going to end well." He added that turbulence or a bird strike at such a low altitude could leave pilots with too little room to manoeuvre without hitting the stadium.

Airlink said that flight data recorded by both aircraft confirmed that their flights were performed within civil aviation safety limits for speed and altitude.