Airlink defends low-altitude aircraft flyby at rugby stadium in Cape Town

Two Embraer jets flew low over DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday before South Africa played New Zealand in rugby. The flyby was part of the second Test match between the two teams on August 30, 2026. The planes released coloured smoke during the manoeuvre. Airlink, the airline that operated the jets, said the flight was safe and had been approved by South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority. Some people criticised the flyby on social media, but Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie called it spectacular. Aerial flybys have a long history in South African rugby. The most famous example was a Boeing 747 that flew over a Johannesburg stadium before the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, which South Africa won.