Airlink has apologised to South African rugby fans after withdrawing its application for a third and final flypast, due to have roared over FNB Stadium this Saturday ahead of the Springboks' clash with the All Blacks.
The decision comes down to the weather, and the forecast backs it up
Gauteng is bracing for a rough weekend with the South African Weather Service issuing a Yellow Level 2 warning of severe thunderstorms sweeping across the province from Friday afternoon into Saturday evening, bringing the possibility of heavy rain, strong winds, excessive lightning and hail.
Just how seriously to take that warning became clear when Airlink withdrew its application.
The airline, which has received an inordinate amount of airtime for its low-flying flypast over DHL Stadium last weekend - far more than the Springboks' 33-26 win over the All Blacks itself did - had one more display up its sleeve. The third and final flypast tied to the current Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series was due to roar over Johannesburg ahead of Saturday's Springboks-All Blacks Test.
Airlink has now withdrawn the application, with chief executive De Villiers Engelbrecht saying forecast weather conditions were "not conducive to a safe formation flight". "We're sorry to disappoint fans and supporters, but safety comes first, and we're also certain the players will provide more than enough on-field excitement," the airline said in a statement.
He added: "As a sponsor, it was not Airlink's intention to detract from the rugby test matches between South Africa and New Zealand."
It's a useful real-world gauge of the risk: aviation operators don't cancel a planned, pre-approved display lightly, and a low-level formation flight has far less room to react to sudden wind, turbulence or reduced visibility than an aircraft cruising at altitude does.
SAWS's warning covers heavy downpours, strong and potentially damaging winds, excessive lightning, and the possibility of hail across Gauteng from Friday afternoon through to Saturday evening, squarely covering match-day itself. Anyone with outdoor weekend plans in the province, not just those headed to FNB Stadium, should treat this as a genuine planning consideration.
The Cape Town backdrop
The FNB cancellation lands against the backdrop of a still-unresolved story from five days ago.
Two Airlink aircraft swept low over Cape Town's DHL Stadium on 29 August, ahead of the Springboks' 33-26 win over the All Blacks, in footage that went around the world and raised real questions about how close the jets had actually come to the roof.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 put the lead aircraft's clearance at just 41 to 46 feet, roughly 12.5 to 14 metres.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority has since confirmed it is reviewing that flight, having obtained flight data recordings from both aircraft. It has been careful to stress the flight was not a rogue operation, adding that the required procedures, including a simulator practice run and a safety briefing, were completed before it was ever approved.
But the regulator has not yet reached a final conclusion on whether the operation stayed within its approved parameters. A full report is expected once that assessment is complete.
There is currently no indication SACAA ordered Airlink to pull the FNB display; the airline withdrew the application itself.
Engelbrecht maintained the Cape Town flypast was performed safely, and said Airlink voluntarily provided its digital flight data to SACAA given the unprecedented public interest in the flight. He added that, given the complexity and number of parameters under review, it would be unrealistic to expect immediate findings from the regulator.
Bottom line for the weekend
Whatever the eventual findings on Cape Town, Gauteng residents have a more immediate concern this week: a genuine severe weather system, arriving right as the province gets ready for one of the biggest matches of the year. For the thousands heading to FNB Stadium on Saturday, there won't be any jets overhead this time.
There will be the Springboks, the All Blacks, 90 minutes of rugby and, if the forecast holds, plenty of drama in the sky regardless.
THE NATIONAL