VIDEOS: Airlink responds to concern planes got ‘too close’ to CT Stadium

A pre-match flyover ahead of the Springboks-All Blacks Test at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium sparked widespread reaction after two commercial aircraft appeared to pass strikingly close to the venue’s roof structure.

Different angles provide a varying viewpoint of just how close the planes got to the stadium, but certain images certainly make it look rather ‘dangerous’, as pointed out by man social media users who suggested that it didn’t allow any room for error if there was an unexpected bird strike or technical problem.

The pre-game spectacle featured two Airlink Embraer E190 passenger jets – one decked out in green for South Africa and the other in black for New Zealand – sweeping low over the packed 55,000-seat stadium. However, as footage flooded X, TikTok, and Instagram, the breathtaking display quickly turned into a heated discussion over aviation safety.

The specially painted green and black Embraer jets, circling from Robben Island, dipped to about 41-46 feet above the stadium roof during the pre-match flyover, with fireworks bursting as they passed. Flight data confirmed the precision, though many called it alarmingly close.

On social media, Flightradar24 posted: “Our lowest recorded ADS-B altitude was 50 ft at standard pressure, or approximately 205–210 ft AMSL when corrected for the local QNH of 1019 hPa. With DHL Stadium standing about 164 ft tall near sea level, that puts the aircraft roughly 41–46 ft (12.5–14 m) above the top of the stadium.”

From broadcast camera angles, the lead aircraft appeared to dip its tail mere meters above the stadium roof during its climb, prompting widespread alarm. Viewers labeled the maneuver “utter madness” and “dangerously low,” with several users expressing concern over a potential tail-strike scenario.

Conversely, aviation enthusiasts and local fans praised the display as a masterclass in precision flying, celebrating it as a continuation of South Africa’s iconic rugby flyover tradition dating back to the 1995 World Cup.

Experts also noted that telephoto zoom lenses frequently create optical illusions, compressing depth and making low-altitude passes look far closer to structures than they are in reality.

On social media, Airlink simply responded by suggested it all went to plan.

“Planning. Precision. Performance. Spectacular scenes of Airlink’s double Embraer flyover at the DHL Stadium,” a social media post read after the game.

The Springboks ultimately went on to win a hard -fought match.