Emphasizing “Planning. Precision. Performance,” Airlink promoted the daring aerial stunt on social media alongside video footage of the event.
In a detailed statement published on a government news portal, the airline defended the maneuver, explaining that the two aircraft were operated by highly experienced crews. Each crew consisted of three senior captains serving in the roles of commander, co-pilot, and safety/technical officer.
Airlink confirmed that the flights were conducted within approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits designed for the flypast.
According to analysis by flight tracking service Flightradar24, the lead aircraft flew less than 50 feet (15 meters) above the stadium’s roof during the event.
While safety concerns regarding two planes flying over a packed stadium have been raised, many South Africans expressed national pride, celebrating the exceptional skill of the country’s pilots.
Such low-altitude flybys have become a traditional part of the build-up to major sporting events in the country. The most famous historical example occurred before the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, when a South African Airways jet flew over a Johannesburg stadium before South Africa faced New Zealand. That match, immortalized in the film *Invictus*, carried deep symbolic weight as President Nelson Mandela wore the national team jersey, which had previously been associated with the apartheid regime and excluded non-white players.