Qatar Airways-backed airline Airlink defends Springboks flypast manoeuvre
The Qatar Airways-backed airline, Airlink, have defended a double flypast over South Africa’s rugby union match against New Zealand after online backlash. Two passenger jets flew above the DHL Stadium in Cape Town with flight tracking website Flightradar24 stating that one of the two planes cleared the arena’s roof by less than 15 metres. And [...]
Airlink, the airline with ties to Qatar Airways, has defended its decision to conduct a double flypast over South Africa's rugby match against New Zealand at DHL Stadium in Cape Town. Online criticism led to the airline's statement that the manoeuvre was carried out under "approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast."
The airline's parent company, SA Airlink Pty Ltd, stated that the two passenger jets flew above the stadium, with one plane coming within less than 15 meters of the arena's roof. The flypast is part of a series of matches between the Springboks and All Blacks, now level at 1-1, with the next game set to be held in Johannesburg. Airlink emphasized that the two aircraft were operated by experienced crews, each consisting of three senior captains in the roles of commander, co-pilot, and safety/technical officer.
Flypasts featuring passenger planes have a history at South African rugby matches, with South African Airways Boeing 747s flying over Ellis Park before the 1995 Rugby World Cup. However, military jet flypast traditions exist in other countries, such as the United States. Airlink plans to perform another flypast at Soweto's FNB Stadium this weekend, ahead of the next Test match.
New Zealand initially took a 33-16 lead in the series, dubbed Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, over South Africa in Johannesburg, but the host nation later leveled the series with a 33-26 victory over the All Blacks.
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