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The flypast many South Africans had been looking forward to before the Springboks clash against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday has been cancelled.
The tradition that has been ongoing since 1995 has now been put on hold after last Saturday’s flypast in Cape Town, where two Airlink planes flew over the Green Point Stadium in front of about 50,000 people.
The Cape Town flypast caused an international uproar over how close the aircraft flew to the stadium, potentially “endangering” thousands of lives.
The SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) stated that Airlink had withdrawn its application for a third flypast that was planned for this weekend.
Sisa Majola, SACAA communications manager, said the regulator was still investigating the second flypast that took place on August 29.
According to the authority, Airlink had submitted three applications for flypasts linked to the rugby matches, with the Cape Town operation being the second.
The first flypast took place in Johannesburg on August 22 after the necessary approval was granted by the regulator.
Majola said the second operation had also gone through the required regulatory processes before it was approved.
“The necessary processes, including the practice flight in a simulator in preparation for the Saturday flight and a safety briefing, were conducted ahead of the operation as required by the regulations,” he said.
The authority said it began compliance verifications after discussions in the media about the Cape Town flypast.
“Following various discussions in the media relating to the events of the past weekend, the SACAA initiated compliance verifications, engaged the operator, obtained the flight data recording downloads as well as other additional requirements,” said Majola.
“The regulator has begun its analysis process and has requested additional information from the operator to reach an informed position.”
He said a full report, together with recommendations, would be shared with Airlink once the assessment had been completed.
The cancellation of the third flypast comes as the authority scrutinises the circumstances surrounding the Cape Town operation.
Majola said the regulator remained committed to ensuring that aviation safety was not compromised.
“The SACAA, as the safety net of the South African skies, gives the public the assurance that aviation safety and security compliance will always be paramount and is not negotiable,” he said.
He said SA had a strong aviation safety record, which the regulator intended to protect.
“This is a record we intend to uphold well into the future, and it is therefore critical that we interrogate this past weekend’s events with clear minds and data at our disposal to determine if there were any safety concerns which warrant a review, as we seek to continuously strengthen our safety standards.”
The SACAA also pointed to SA’s international aviation safety standing, saying the country was ranked seventh globally and first in Africa for aviation safety standards by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
“This is achieved with a culture of compliance and a South African aviation industry that prioritises aviation safety and security,” said Majola.
Sowetan
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