Airlink responds to low-flying aircraft during Cape Town stadium flyby

No doubt you’ve heard about or even seen the video of the two Airlink Embraer aircraft pulling off an incredibly low flyby over a stadium in Cape Town. Flight tracking data reveals that one of the aircraft likely came within 50 feet of the stadium roof.

Well, Airlink has addressed concerns shared on social media and forums about the low altitude of two aircraft during a formation flyby over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium. The flyby was part of the build-up to the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series between the Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks. According to Airlink, the flight required careful planning and rehearsal, as it involved flying low at around 150 knots.

The airline said the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Air Traffic Navigation Services provided guidance, approval and support to ensure the flyby was conducted safely. The two aircraft were operated by highly experienced crews, with each aircraft carrying three senior captains serving as commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer. Airlink said flight data recorded by both aircraft confirmed that the flyby was conducted within the safety altitude and speed limits approved and rehearsed by the SACAA.

FlightRadar24’s analysis of the aircraft’s ADS-B altitude data showed the planes flew less than 50 feet above the stadium’s highest point. The lowest recorded ADS-B altitude was 50 feet above mean sea level at standard pressure. After adjusting for local atmospheric pressure, it is estimated the aircraft’s altitude to be between 205 and 210 feet above mean sea level. With the DHL Stadium near sea level and its structure reaching about 164 feet, FlightRadar24 calculated the aircraft's clearance over the stadium at between 41 and 46 feet.

The flyby featured two Airlink Embraer aircraft, the green E190 ZS-YAE (MSN 19000456) and black E195 ZS-YDE (19000088), which were liveried in the colours of the competing teams and carried the official Tour logo.