Airline Defends 'Uncomfortable' Flyover Above Packed Stadium

Onlookers are calling attention to the safety risk of flying two passenger jets just feet above a stadium, while at the same time applauding the skills of the pilots. Two Airlink jets screamed just above Cape Town's DHL Stadium ahead of Saturday's South Africa–New Zealand rugby match, with flight data suggesting the lead jet came within 41 to 46 feet of the roofline of the stadium with some 56,000 people inside, per the AP. The second jet flew through a cloud of colorful dust that had been shot up into the sky.

Critics called the low pass dangerous, with the president of the country's Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association observing that the lead plane seemed to dip below the roof and then climb back up, leaving him "a little bit uncomfortable." Airlink says the stunt was fully authorized and tightly choreographed within pre-approved altitude and speed limits, with three senior captains on board each plane, per the BBC. South Africa's sports minister praised the display as evidence the country has "the best pilots in the world." The spectacle recalls a similar 1995 stunt when a South African Airways jet passed low over a Johannesburg stadium during the 1995 World Cup final, also versus rival New Zealand.