Two Embraer jets fly low over Cape Town rugby stadium in pre-match show

Two passenger jets flying just meters above a stadium in South Africa on Saturday have caused a stir on social media, with people describing it as a “near collision” and expressing safety concerns. The maneuver was part of a pre-match show ahead of a rugby game between the South African and New Zealand national teams.

Videos of two Embraer airliners overflying the Cape Town rugby stadium full of people quickly went viral on social networks. Clips ranging from mere seconds to several minutes showed a tight formation consisting of an Embraer E195 and a smaller Embraer E190 wearing black and green liveries with ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ written on their hulls flying past the stadium as pyrotechnic smoke was shot into the air.

Some social media posts called the flyby “alarmingly low” while others said the planes came “dangerously close” to the stadium or even “almost hit the roof.” Some people on social media also called the flyover moment “terrifying.” The Flightradar24 aircraft tracker estimated that the two aircraft flew just between 12 and 14 meters above the roof.

The Airlink Airlines – the company that organized the flyby – addressed what it called “concerns expressed in various social media and online forums,” insisting that the flights were absolutely safe and coordinated with the relevant authorities.

“The South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services provided valuable guidance, approval, and support to ensure a safe flyby,” the company said in a statement on Sunday. According to Airlink, both jets were piloted by “highly experienced” crews, each comprised of three senior captains operating as a commander, co-pilot, and a safety officer. The flights were performed within the “approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast,” it added.

According to local media, the stadium flybys were part of a South African rugby tradition dating back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final when a massive South African Airways Boeing 747 flew over Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg at low altitude.

Saturday’s feat came ahead of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry match – part of a special quadrennial tour series between South Africa and New Zealand. South Africans won the game 33-26.