Two Airlink Embraer E-Jets carried out a planned flyover of DHL Stadium in Cape Town before the Springboks-All Blacks match on 29 August, prompting viral footage that made the aircraft appear alarmingly close to the roof. The aircraft, identified as ZS-YDE and ZS-YAE, took part in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry event after a pre-announced manoeuvre approved and rehearsed with South African aviation authorities.
Flight-tracking data later circulated online showed the lower jet at about 50 feet barometric altitude, while corrected calculations based on stadium height pointed to roughly 12.5 to 14 metres of clearance above the roof. Airlink publicly defended the operation as compliant with the agreed safety plan, and the episode quickly became a case study in how camera angle, perspective and pyrotechnics can distort the apparent height of low-level aerial displays.
The flyover formed part of pre-match entertainment for a major international rugby fixture and drew attention because of the contrast between the dramatic video and the tracked flight path. The incident did not involve a reported collision or emergency, but it did highlight the scrutiny that follows close-proximity aircraft displays at large sporting events, especially when footage spreads rapidly across social media.