South African airline Airlink has withdrawn from a planned aerial display over a stadium in Soweto this weekend, according to the country's aviation regulator, SACAA. The decision comes as SACAA announced it is investigating a similar flyby performed by Airlink last Saturday.
Last weekend's display, which took place before a rugby match in Cape Town, involved two planes flying in close formation low over a packed stadium. Footage of the event was widely shared, with Flightradar24 reporting that its analysis showed the lead aircraft passed less than 50ft (15m) above the stadium's top.
While SACAA had approved the applications and safety measures for the flybys, it is now conducting a further investigation following "discussions in the media". The regulator has obtained flight data recordings and other requirements for analysis. Airlink has not commented on the reported cancellation of the Soweto display.