A South African airline has defended its low-altitude aerial stunt over a packed stadium, stating it was carefully planned with aviation authorities, according to BBC. The jets flew reportedly within feet of the top of the stadium during a rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand.

Stunt Sparks Mixed Reactions

The jets roared over Cape Town’s DHL stadium as flares shot up before the start of the rugby match. Some labelled the manoeuvre reckless, while others praised the precision and expertise required to pull it off. Airlink, the airline involved, defended the stunt in its social media posts, using the message ‘Planning. Precision. Performance.’

Detailed Planning and Safety Measures

In a statement reproduced on a government news site, Airlink provided more details about the stunt. The airline said the two aircraft were flown by highly experienced crew, with each comprised of three senior captains operating in the roles of commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer. It added that the flights were performed with the ‘approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast.’

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 analyzed the event and reported that according to its analysis, ‘the lead aircraft passed less than 50 feet (15 metres) above the top of the stadium.’ This raised questions about the risk and potential for disaster involving two planes and a packed stadium. However, many South Africans expressed national pride that their country’s pilots could execute such a feat.

Historical Precedent for Aerial Stunts

The low-altitude flyby has become a feature of the build-up to some big matches. The most notable instance was when a South African Airways jet flew over a Johannesburg stadium before the start of the 1995 rugby World Cup final. In that match, South Africa beat New Zealand. The match, immortalized in the Hollywood film Invictus, was highly symbolic as the country’s first black president, Nelson Mandela, donned the jersey of the national side, which had been closely associated with the apartheid government and previously excluded players who were not white.