Two planes fly dangerously low over packed stadium ahead of rugby match in Cape Town
Ahead of the South Africa–New Zealand rugby international in Cape Town, two passenger planes flew very low over the full DHL Stadium as part of a planned show, sparking both excitement and concern among spectators.
On Saturday in Cape Town, thousands of spectators at the DHL Stadium witnessed an unexpectedly close flyover before the rugby international between South Africa and New Zealand, as two passenger aircraft passed over the packed venue at a strikingly low altitude.
The flyover had been arranged in advance as part of the pre-match entertainment for the "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry" tour match. Airline Airlink, the tour's official domestic carrier, provided the two aircraft used in the display.
Spectators captured the moment on video
Many fans in the stands filmed the flyover on their phones, and footage quickly spread across social media. The clips show the two planes approaching the stadium and passing directly over it just moments before kickoff. Some reports, citing flight-tracking data, state that one of the aircraft was flying at roughly 15 metres (about 50 feet) above ground level as it crossed the stadium, though the exact distance from the stadium's structure cannot be confirmed from video footage alone.
A similar flyover the week before
A comparable event had taken place a week earlier in Johannesburg over Ellis Park Stadium, ahead of another match in the same series. On that occasion, Airlink used two specially liveried aircraft — one painted in South Africa's team colours, the other in New Zealand's black All Blacks livery.
Reactions to the Cape Town flyover on social media were mixed. Some viewers praised it as an impressive display of piloting skill, while others admitted the aircraft's proximity to the crowd felt unnerving. Several users compared the two events online, noting that watching the footage on television or online evoked stronger reactions than being present in person.
