Airlink Jets Appear Shockingly Close to DHL Stadium During Springboks vs All Blacks Flyover
Two Airlink passenger jets gave rugby fans an unexpected spectacle before the Springboks faced the All Blacks at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium on August 29.
The specially branded Embraer E-Jets, identified as ZS-YAE and ZS-YDE, swept over the packed stadium shortly before kickoff as part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. Airlink is the official domestic airline partner for the 2026 tour.
But the flyover quickly caught attention for another reason — the aircraft appeared incredibly close to the stadium roof in viral videos.
Flight-tracking information cited in reports showed one aircraft with a barometric altitude of around 50 metres, while its GPS altitude was reported at approximately 925 feet. The difference between the two readings is important when judging the aircraft’s actual height.
DHL Stadium is about 164 feet high, suggesting the aircraft may have had considerably more clearance than the dramatic camera angles made it appear.
As the jet passed over the stadium and changed pitch, its tail appeared to drop dangerously close to the roof. From other angles, however, a much clearer gap can be seen.
The spectacle also continues a long South African sporting tradition. Aircraft flyovers became particularly famous during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when a South African Airways Boeing 747 flew over Ellis Park before the final.
Airlink’s latest flyover brought that tradition to a new generation — with two Embraer jets, a packed stadium and one of rugby’s greatest rivalries creating a spectacular pre-match scene.
Was it genuinely a dangerously low flyover, or did perspective make it look far closer than it really was?
The viral footage has certainly left plenty of viewers asking the same question.
