The South African airline Airlink has officially cancelled its planned formation flyby prior to the highly anticipated Springboks vs. All Blacks rugby Test on Saturday. This decision comes as the country’s aviation regulator, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), reviews a previous flypast that occurred on August 29 over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.

Airlink announced on Wednesday that it withdrew its application due to forecasts predicting unfavourable weather conditions. The SACAA is currently conducting a compliance verification to ensure that safety protocols were properly followed during last week’s display. SACAA executive Phindiwe Gwebu stated, “We are currently conducting a compliance verification just to satisfy ourselves that all safety protocols were adhered to by the crew.”

The previous flyby, which featured two Airlink Embraer aircraft flying in formation, garnered significant attention on social media as the lead aircraft flew less than 50 feet above the stadium. The SACAA is analyzing flight data recorder downloads and has requested further information from Airlink.

Despite the cancellation, Airlink maintains that the flyby was executed safely by experienced crews totaling 75,000 hours of flying time. Chief Executive De Villiers Engelbrecht noted, “Although we have also heard the widespread enthusiasm for a flyby at FNB Stadium this weekend, the forecast weather points to unfavourable conditions for a safe formation flyby.”

In related news, New Zealand has announced three changes to their starting lineup for the upcoming third Test at Soccer City. Codie Taylor has been dropped, with Asafo Aumua taking his place. Additionally, Sam Darry will make his Test debut, replacing Fabian Holland in the second row. The backline remains unchanged from last Saturday’s 33-26 loss to the Springboks.