South African airline defends low-altitude aerial stunt over packed stadium

A South African airline has defended itself against some criticism of a dramatic stunt that saw two of its aircraft in close formation fly reportedly within feet of the top of a stadium.

The jets roared over Cape Town's DHL Stadium, filled with more than 50,000 fans, as smoke flares shot up before the start of a rugby match featuring fierce rivals South Africa and New Zealand.

As videos of Saturday's aerial feat were shared, some labelled the startling manoeuvre reckless, while others have praised the precision and expertise required to pull it off.

In response, Airlink said it was carefully planned with the support of the aviation authorities.

"Planning. Precision. Performance," was the airline's message in social media posts , external accompanied by the footage.

In a statement reproduced on a government news site , external , Airlink went into more detail.

"The two aircraft were flown by highly experienced crew, with each comprised of three senior captains operating in the roles of commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer," the airline said.

It added that the flights were performed with the "approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast".