Airlink Cancels FNB Stadium Flyover Following SACAA Investigation
The much-anticipated flyover ahead of the third Test between the Springboks and All Blacks at FNB Stadium has been called off following growing scrutiny over the dramatic low-altitude formation flight in Cape Town last weekend.
Airlink has withdrawn its application for a third flyover after two of its aircraft conducted a spectacular pass over DHL Stadium ahead of the second Test on August 29.
While the Cape Town flyover was met with huge cheers from the crowd, the manoeuvre also attracted significant international attention after footage showed the two passenger jets passing extremely close to the stadium. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has since launched a compliance review into the operation.
The regulator confirmed that Airlink had originally submitted applications for three flyovers during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. The first took place in Johannesburg on 22 August, while the second was conducted in Cape Town on 29 August.
SACAA said the Cape Town flight had gone through the required regulatory processes before being approved, including a simulator practice flight and safety briefing. However, following the reaction to the flyover, the regulator obtained the aircraft’s flight data recordings and requested additional information from Airlink as it assesses whether the operation complied with the approved parameters.
Airlink has maintained that the flyover was carefully planned and rehearsed, with safety remaining the priority throughout the operation. The airline said the crews involved had extensive experience, with more than 75,000 combined flight hours.
However, with the SACAA investigation still underway, the planned third flyover over FNB Stadium has now been withdrawn.
The decision means supporters attending Saturday’s crucial third Test will not get to witness another aerial spectacle before the Springboks and All Blacks resume their battle, with the four-Test series locked at 1-1 following South Africa’s 33-26 victory in Cape Town.
The cancellation also brings an end, at least temporarily, to one of South African rugby’s most iconic traditions. Flyovers have been closely associated with major Springbok occasions since the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, when a Boeing 747 famously flew over Ellis Park before South Africa faced New Zealand.
For now, however, the focus has shifted from spectacle to safety.
SACAA has stressed that aviation safety remains non-negotiable and said a full report, together with recommendations, will be issued once its assessment of the Cape Town operation has been completed.
With the third flyover officially off, all eyes will instead turn to the pitch at FNB Stadium, where the Springboks and All Blacks will battle for a 2-1 advantage in the series.
