Airlink withdraws third RGR flyover

Airlink has pulled the plug on a planned third flyover this weekend as South Africa’s aviation regulator continues examining the airline’s controversial operation over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.

The decision comes days after an Airlink aircraft display above the stadium on August 29 sparked a major reaction, with footage of the flight quickly spreading online and drawing attention well beyond South Africa.

**The flyover took place before the Springboks faced the All Blacks at DHL Stadiu**m, giving supporters in the stadium a dramatic spectacle ahead of one of the biggest rugby fixtures of the year.

But what was intended as a celebration quickly became the subject of heated debate.

Thousands of people criticised the operation, particularly the aircraft’s apparent proximity to the stadium, while others defended Airlink and argued that the flight had been carried out within the required aviation procedures.

Now, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is taking a closer look.

The regulator began compliance checks following the Cape Town operation and has since engaged directly with Airlink. It has also obtained the relevant flight data recordings and requested additional information from the airline as part of its assessment.

That investigation is still ongoing, meaning SACAA has not yet concluded whether any safety or regulatory rules were breached.

The latest development is that Airlink has voluntarily withdrawn its application for another flyover that was scheduled to take place this weekend.

SACAA confirmed that the airline notified the regulator on September 1 that it had withdrawn the application.

The cancellation is significant because the Cape Town flight was not an isolated event. Airlink had submitted applications for three flypasts connected to rugby matches.

The first took place in Johannesburg on August 22, with the Cape Town operation on August 29 serving as the second.

According to SACAA, the Cape Town flyover had been approved after Airlink completed the documentation, simulator training and safety briefing required for the operation.

That approval is now being examined alongside the actual flight data.

SACAA said it will assess the available information before providing Airlink with a full report and recommendations once the process has been completed.

For now, the regulator has stopped short of saying that the aircraft operated outside the rules.

The focus is instead on establishing exactly what happened during the flight and whether anything identified through the review warrants further investigation.

The controversy has put renewed attention on the safety considerations involved when aircraft operate near large sporting venues filled with thousands of spectators.

For Airlink, the withdrawal of the third application also means the airline will not proceed with the next planned display while the regulator’s assessment continues.

SACAA has stressed that aviation safety and security compliance remain its priority.

The regulator’s investigation will ultimately determine whether the August 29 operation raised any safety concerns that need to be addressed.

Until that assessment is complete, however, the biggest question surrounding the Airlink flyover remains unanswered: was the dramatic flight simply a tightly controlled aviation display, or did it expose issues that require further scrutiny?

SACAA’s forthcoming report should provide the clearest indication yet.

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**Picture: **Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images

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