It lasted just a few seconds… but two Airlink planes flying astonishingly low over the DHL Stadium have created a global conversation that shows no sign of landing just yet.
Cape Town, South Africa (30 August 2026) – If you’ve been anywhere near social media in the last 12 hours, you have probably seen the videos… two Airlink aeroplanes sweeping over the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, so low that from certain angles it looks like you could reach up from the stands and touch them.
The videos have travelled around the world and, depending on which headline you read, what happened in Cape Town was either one of the greatest flyovers ever or something altogether more alarming.
Fox News called it “one of the wildest flyovers ever“, while the New York Post reported that the jets had left onlookers “horrified“, warning that it “could’ve been catastrophic“. Sky Sports went with the rather more straightforward, “That was mighty low!”
And social media has been just as divided.
“Brilliant flying, congratulations guys, well done…” one person wrote.
Another saw things very differently… “Looked dangerous and almost certainly unapproved by SACAA to be that low. Must’ve been about 15m above the stadium. Reckless to endanger that many people.”
That assumption about approval, however, is contradicted by Airlink, which says the flypast was conducted with guidance, approval and support from the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS).
Others were more interested in the extraordinary amount of attention Airlink has received from the flyover.
“One thing is for sure. Whatever they paid as a sponsor, they got 100 times worth with all the publicity this has received worldwide.”
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Dear Tired Humans, You’re Actually Doing Okay!We’re not weighing in on whether it was spectacular or “horrifying”. We’re just reporting on a South African story that has become a global talking point.
According to Flightradar24, its lowest recorded ADS-B altitude was 50 feet at standard pressure. After correcting that measurement for Cape Town’s local atmospheric pressure, the flight-tracking service calculated that the lowest aircraft was approximately 12.5 to 14 metres above the top of DHL Stadium. That is roughly the height of a four-storey building.
Airlink, meanwhile, summed up the flyover in three words, “Planning. Precision. Performance.”
And there was plenty happening behind those few seconds above the stadium. Airlink confirmed that the flyover had been planned and rehearsed, with SACAA and ATNS providing guidance, approval and support. Each aircraft carried three senior captains, a commander, a co-pilot and a dedicated safety and technical officer, while the jets flew the display at around 150 knots. Under normal circumstances, South African aviation regulations require aircraft flying over congested areas or open-air gatherings to remain substantially higher. An authorised flyover, however, can operate under specifically approved parameters, which Airlink says both aircraft remained within.
There will probably be plenty more debate about those few seconds above the stadium as the videos continue travelling around the world but one thing is certain… before the Springboks and All Blacks had even kicked off, Airlink had everyone looking up and within hours, the rest of the world was looking too.
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