South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority is analysing flight-recorder data from two Airlink Embraer E-Jets that flew over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium before the Springboks-All Blacks match on 29 August. The review follows public concern over the apparent closeness of the manoeuvre, even though the operation had been authorised as a special air event and the airline maintains the aircraft remained within approved altitude and speed limits.
The regulator has moved from initial scrutiny to a formal compliance assessment after obtaining the flight data downloads and asking Airlink for further information. A full report with recommendations is expected once that process is complete. Airlink has also withdrawn a planned third flypast in Johannesburg while the review continues.
The stadium pass has drawn attention because it involved passenger jets over a packed sports venue, raising questions about the margins allowed for promotional flyovers and how such events are assessed when visual impressions differ from recorded flight data. Publicly available tracking and video footage have not resolved the exact vertical clearance, leaving the regulator to determine whether the operation remained within the authorised parameters.