The twin Airlink jets that skimmed Cape Town Stadium ahead of the Springboks–All Blacks Test dominated Monday morning talk radio far more than the match itself. Presenters on Cape Talk, 702, SAfm and Power FM opened their shows with the same viral footage: two commercial Embraer jets clearing the stadium roof by roughly 40 to 46 feet, flying through the pyrotechnics as nearly 60,000 fans watched.
The on-air debate split along familiar South African lines. Airlink's insistence that the flypast was rehearsed, approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and flown by senior captains was broadly accepted by hosts, with Trade Union Solidarity going on air to defend the pilots. But callers, international outlets and New Zealand voices raised safety questions loud enough that SA Rugby indicated it would seek answers.
By mid-morning the framing had shifted from a pure safety story to something more introspective: do South Africans, as one Cape Talk host put it, simply calculate risk differently — and are stadium flyovers now overdone?
A flyover that outshone the rugby
By Monday morning, presenters across the major talk stations agreed on one thing: the Airlink flypast had eclipsed the Springboks' win as the weekend's dominant talking point. Cape Talk's early breakfast host marvelled that Airlink had "dominated social media yesterday, at least on my platforms, more so than the actual match"1, while 702's Bongani Bingwa opened with the same observation: "I don't think I've ever gone onto my social platforms and seen so much chatter about airplanes flying over a stadium."2 Power FM's breakfast team led with what they called the "uproar" about the flyover before even getting to the rugby.3
What Airlink and the regulators said
The airline's statement was read almost verbatim on air across stations. Airlink said the flypast was conducted with the approval of the South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services, was carefully planned and rehearsed, and involved flying at low altitude at around 150 knots.45 Each aircraft, Cape Talk reported, carried three senior captains — a commander, a co-pilot and a safety and technical officer — and Airlink said its flight data recorders showed the planes stayed within the approved and rehearsed altitude, with the data to be handed to the CAA.6 SAfm summed up the airline's position bluntly: "no safety regulations were violated."7
The numbers that fuelled the backlash
What kept the story alive on air were the altitude figures. 702 cited Flight Radar 24 data putting the aircraft at 205 to 210 feet above mean sea level, with the stadium structure reaching about 164 feet — leaving clearance of between 41 and 46 feet.8 Cape Talk went further, telling listeners one of the planes cleared the roof "by only about 40 feet" and "can even be seen flying through the rooftop firework display" above a stadium "filled with nearly 60,000 rugby fans."9 Social media posts read out on 702 put the gap at 12 to 14 metres and called the stunt "reckless", though Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie called the display "magnificent" and joked the planes would be landing on the pitch next time.10
Pilots and unions push back
SAfm devoted a substantial segment to Trade Union Solidarity, which went on air to defend the pilots against what presenters framed as a global pile-on. Solidarity said the debate had "sparked a global safety debate with critics warning of risks while South Africans defended the pilots with humour", and stressed the professionalism of local aviators.11 The union representative described watching similar Airlink formations earlier in the week from a high vantage point in Johannesburg, and framed the issue as one of protecting both pilots and industry reputation.12
A quieter presenter scepticism
Even hosts who defended Airlink's execution began questioning whether the tradition itself had run its course. A Cape Talk presenter said flatly: "I generally have felt that flyovers have been overdone. There was 1995... there was another flyover in 2023 when the All Blacks were in Cape Town."13 The same sentiment was echoed on 702 almost word for word.14 Another Cape Talk voice added: "I'm not much for the festivities before kickoff. Get on with it. The game should be the main thing."15
The risk-perception frame
By the 7am hour, Cape Talk had reframed the story around a bigger question — one the host promised to put to aviation expert Chris Martin and to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Chris Martinez. "Do South Africans calculate risk differently?" the host asked, suggesting that "living with a danger every day" might make listeners either more comfortable with certain risks or better at judging them.16 The question was repeated later: should traditional flyovers continue, or is this "the end of the flyovers"?17
International voices on air
Cape Talk brought in a New Zealand tourist, Nick Rowland, part of a Kiwi tour group at the match. His verdict cut against the online outrage: "It was pretty spectacular when we were inside that arena. I mean, it was pretty close... but looking at the footage now, I think they had about 12 metres clear. So I don't know what people were complaining about."18 Power FM's presenter noted that much of the backlash was in fact coming "from non-South Africans" before restating Airlink's line that the manoeuvre had been rehearsed and coordinated with the CAA and ATNS.19
What's unresolved
Two threads remain live on the airwaves. First, the CAA's assessment of the flight data Airlink has offered to submit — presenters flagged that SA Rugby was itself "seeking" clarification.20 Second, whether Airlink will attempt an encore at the following weekend's Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. Cape Talk put the question directly to listeners: "Should Airlink go it again this coming weekend at FNB? Or is it the case of South Africans — we just calculate risk a little differently?"21 For now, the airline's marketing win and the safety debate are running in parallel, and neither has been settled on air.
- 702
- Cape Talk
- Power FM
- SAfm
Citations
- 1.
“The two aircraft go. I don't know how they would have gotten up there, but that's a different story. But at no point, surely, did it feel like those pilots were going to lose control and catastrophe was going to ensue. But well done to Airlink. I think they dominated social media yesterday, at least on my platforms, more so than the actual match and the reflection of the victory by the Springboks. If you'd like to reflect on that,”
- 2.
“Monday to you. Sure. Did you watch your rugby? I did. I did. Many people did. And good victory for the Springboks. But I mean, this flyover has gone. I don't think I've ever gone onto my social platforms and seen so much chatter about airplanes flying over a stadium. I mean, and it's been a long tradition in South Africa that we do these flyovers. And I must admit, I kind of thought, you know, it's”
- 3.
“083-303-7093 on X at Tabisodema or at Power FM987. The hashtag is Power Breakfast. All right. Okay, here's what we've got lined up for you on the show. Oh, my word. We have to talk about the uproar about the fly over the Cape Town Stadium or the DHL stadium in Cape Town before the Springboks and All Blacks game.”
- 4.
“Aircraft during the formation flyby over Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The flyby was staged as part of the build-up to the rugby's greatest rivalry series between the Springboks and the All Blacks. Erlink said that the flight required careful planning and rehearsal because it involved flying at low altitude at around 150 knots. The airline said that the South African Civil Aviation Authority, as well as air traffic,”
- 5.
“Of the two aircraft during the formation flyby over Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The flyby was staged as part of the build-up to the rugby's greatest rivalry series between the Springboks and the All Blacks. Erling said that the flight required careful planning and rehearsal because it involved flying at low altitude at around 150 knots. The airline said that the South African Civil Aviation Authority.”
- 6.
“Services. Each aircraft had three senior captains on board, had a commander and a co-pilot, and had a safety and technical officer. Airlink says that its flight data recorders show the planes stayed within the approved and rehearsed altitude. In fact, Airlink says it's going to hand over its data to the South African Civil Aviation Authority. We had scheduled a conversation.”
- 7.
“Over ahead of the rugby match between the Springboks and the All Blacks at Caetown's DHL Stadium yesterday. The flyover has gone viral with many spectators initially questioning on social media if the surreal footage was artificial intelligence generated. Erlink says no safety regulations were violated and that the flyover had the approval of the South African Civil Aviation Authority now. Let's shift our focus to election news.”
- 8.
“Atmospheric pressure, Flight Radar 24 estimated the aircraft's altitude at 205 to 210 feet above mean sea level. With the stadium near sea level and its structure reaching about 164 feet, Flight Radar 24 calculated the aircraft's clearance over the stadium at between 41 and 46 feet. The flyby featuring the two airlink aircraft, which were liveried of.”
- 9.
“Filled with nearly 60,000 rugby fans. Well, flight data appears to show one of the planes cleared the top of the DHL stadium in Cape Town by only about 40 feet. It can even be seen flying through the rooftop firework display. Dozens took to social media, declaring the stunt irresponsible and dangerous. The airline, Airlinks, said today that it noted the concerns.”
- 10.
“Looking at my social media feeds, and I must admit, yo, a lot of people debating this. There have been concerns in some quarters that those planes were just way too low. And I know Mateo just wants to talk about it. We'll get to it now. Just hold on, hold on, hold on. One post saying the planes were just 12 to 14 meters above the stadium. This person says reckless. This just one person says reckless. Our sports minister, Gate McKenzie, says they were magnificent. He joked, the next time they'll be landing.”
- 11.
“Sparked a global safety debate with critics warning of risks while South Africans defended the pilots with humor. And it's really been the debate on social media. Unbelievable how much A-Link has been trending over the actual rugby and the outcome of the rugby. Look, I must say, I was at the DHL Stadium on Saturday.”
- 12.
“Of our pilots in South Africa, but also our industry. You know, in the previous week, I saw those airplanes here in Johannesburg because I was at the highest point in the south of Johannesburg when I saw that happen. But where does Solidarity draw the line between celebrating a proud national rugby tradition to what some online critics view as exposing commercial pilots to unnecessary operational risk? Yes, so I think our members, and we represent the vast majority.”
- 13.
“I generally have felt that flyovers have been overdone. There was 1994, there have been a couple, 95 rather, a couple of other occasions on the 30th anniversary of the Springboks and the All Blacks at Ellis Park. There was another flyover in 2023 when the All Blacks were in Cape Town. There was a flyover then. In fact, the most spoken about one before this.”
- 14.
“Africa. I generally have felt that flyovers have been overdone. There was 1994, there have been a couple, 95 rather, a couple of other occasions on the 30th anniversary of the Springboks and the All Blacks at Ellis Park. There was another flyover in 2023 when the All Blacks were here in Cape Town. There was a flyover then. In fact, the most spoken about one before.”
- 15.
“And then I've seen a couple of flyovers in the past. Remember when the last time, I think it was 2023 when the All Blacks played at DHL Stadium. Again, that flyover was pretty cool. But I have thought for the last time: well, maybe the flyovers are a little bit overdone. I'm not much for the festivities before kickoff. Get on with it. The game should be the main thing. But after that, it”
- 16.
“Risk and safety analysis, and then we live our lives from there. Do South Africans calculate risk differently? And that's the question I'm going to be asking this morning. So that's a conversation I'll be having after seven o'clock. I'll speak to aviation expert Chris Martin, who will weigh in on that controversial low-level flyover Cape Town Stadium at the weekend. But also, you saw the statement from SA Rugby saying that they're seeking.”
- 17.
“The maneuver carefully planned, it was approved, it was rehearsed, flown within the approved and authorized safety limits. But do we calculate risk a little bit differently in South Africa? Does living with a danger every day make us a little bit more comfortable with certain risks? Or does it make us better at judging which risks are worth taking? You tell me. And should the traditional flyovers continue?”
- 18.
“4460567. Nick Rowland, we spoke to you on Friday. You're part of a tour group of Kiwis here to South Africa. Firstly, what are your thoughts on the flyover? Oh, it was pretty spectacular when we were inside that arena. I mean, it was pretty close. We all kind of said, whoa, it's pretty close. But, you know, looking at the footage now, I think they had about 12 meters clear. So I don't know what people were complaining about. You spent some time in South Africa. What were your thoughts on how South Africa?”
- 19.
“From non-South Africans, by the way. But anyway, they explained that the low-altitude flyby by two aircraft at the Caetown DHL stadium on Sunday was actually staged as part of something that was well rehearsed and was done in collaboration with airline authorities. They said that the South African Civil Aviation Authority and the air traffic navigation services provide”
- 20.
“Something comes to bear. Is this the end of the flyovers? Or is it the case of we know what we are doing? It was a highly planned and coordinated event. There were precise timings when it comes to the flyover. We followed all the standard safety protocols. In fact, we were well within the guidelines of the Civil Aviation Authority, says Airlink. But whether or not there's a call from New Zealand rugby to SA Rugby that says,”
- 21.
“Association of South Africa, 0214460567. Should Airlink go it again this coming weekend at FNB? Or is it the case of South Africans? We just calculate risk a little differently. We live lives where we have to calculate any form of danger and risk on a daily basis. So maybe we're a little bit numb to the risk assessment, say 0214460567. But it's important to note,”