Durban — Three milestones for Emirates and South Africa were marked in style with the first A380 flypast during the Springboks and All Blacks Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test on Saturday at the Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg.
The display celebrated the return of the second daily A380 service on the Dubai-Johannesburg route from September 1.
In a statement on Sunday, the airline took to the skies to celebrate its long-standing and ongoing commitment to South Africa, with the country’s first A380 flypast. Running up the score, the remarkable low-level aerial showcase also marks Emirates’ first flypast in Africa and the first international airline to execute such a feat in South Africa.
With a shared love for rugby, Emirates flew the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft over Emirates Airline Park, just before kick-off of the much-anticipated Springboks vs All Blacks test match.
Flying at an altitude of just 500 feet above the ground, the iconic Emirates double-decker aircraft saluted rugby and aviation fans, in its latest signature livery.
The Emirates A380 took off from O.R. Tambo International Airport at 4pm, travelling at a speed of 140kts, reaching the stadium at 4.58pm, perfectly timed to follow South Africa and New Zealand’s national anthems. The impressive aerial feat follows months of thorough and cross-functional planning between stakeholders including multiple teams at Emirates, South African Civil Aviation Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Emirates pilots, flight operation managers and air traffic controllers working with the Emirates Lions team. The teams worked together across every element of the aerial display, taking into account air traffic patterns at different times of the day with different weather and wind conditions.
UAE national captain Mubarak Al Mheiri, A380 deputy chief pilot commanded the flight, joined by captain Khalid Binsultan and captain Abdalla Al Hammadi, both technical pilots for the Airbus A380 and captain Richard Fiess, A380 captain. Captain Mubarak has flown with Emirates for 19 years and has completed over 7,200 hours in the cockpit of the iconic A380. He has commanded similar flypasts for Emirates, including UAE National Day celebrations for the past four years and headlining the commercial aircraft flypast formation at the 2023 Dubai Air Show. He also participated in the iconic flight promoting Expo 2020, which saw an A380 fly around an Emirates cabin crew at the very top of the Burj Khalifa; the unprecedented formation flight with the Jetman team back in 2015; and with the Red Arrows in 2022.
Emirates country manager of South Africa, Afzal Parambil, said: “Tonight’s record-setting flypast is a powerful display of our unwavering commitment to South Africa. It represents not just an achievement of technical excellence but encapsulates our ongoing partnership with key stakeholders in South Africa, including the Civil Aviation Authority, O.R. Tambo International Airport, Emirates Lions and, of course, the strong relationship we’ve built with our customers and travel partners here over the years.
“For almost three decades, we’ve unlocked an array of choices for our customers, by offering an outstanding on-ground and in-flight experience coupled with seamless global connectivity, and we’re not slowing down now. We look forward to the next 30 years, and beyond, of serving South Africa and spotlighting its many attractions to the world.”
Ellis Park Stadium managing director Pieter Burger said: “The flyover has become such a pre-match entertainment staple at the iconic Emirates Airline Park. First witnessed in 1995 at the final of the international rugby showpiece where the South African national rugby team was victorious, to have had this moment tonight against the very same opposition was a thrilling experience for fans watching at the stadium and at home.
“We are extremely grateful to our long-time partner Emirates who were pivotal towards the success of this project, together with all other role players involved. From a lasting memory perspective, this will certainly be up there for those who had the privilege to witness the moment.”
The flypast also marks the return of Emirates’ second A380 service on the Dubai-Johannesburg route, enhancing more customer choice and travel options with Emirates’ iconic on-board products and world-class service. EK761 departs Dubai at 4.05am, landing in Johannesburg at 10.15am, with the return flight, EK762, departing Johannesburg at 1.25pm and touching down in Dubai at 11.45pm, perfectly timed for onward connections to key destinations in the Far East, Europe and the Middle East.
Emirates is one of the world’s biggest rugby supporters. In South Africa, Emirates’ investment in the sport is headlined by its steadfast title sponsorship of the Emirates Lions, including naming rights of the team’s home stadium, Emirates Airline Park. The airline also sponsors the action-packed Cape Town Sevens, a regular fixture on the Sevens World Series calendar and one of the most popular live sporting events in South Africa, regularly drawing over 100 000 spectators.
Globally, Emirates can be found at the centre of the action from grassroots to professional leagues as the sponsor of the Rugby World Cup since 2007, with a prominent presence planned at the upcoming 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Firmly established as a long-term partner of South African aviation, tourism, and trade, Emirates has been serving the market for 29 years, connecting over 20 million travellers to/from South Africa with more than 140 destinations on its vast global network, via Dubai.
By half-time, the Springboks were trailing with the score at 11-12, however, the final score was in the favour of the home side which beat the All Blacks by 31-27.
What a test match but my only disappointment was the noise made and music being played during the Haka, it’s a privilege to watch and hear for player and fan alike, please let’s respect it in Cape Town…
Meanwhile, the SA Rugby Union wrote to New Zealand Rugby to formally apologise for a sequence of events that led to the conclusion of the Haka being obscured during Saturday’s match.
The closing moments of the Haka were overlaid by music and fireworks – and a flyover by an A380 airliner – as pre-planned scheduling failed to be observed.
“I apologised in person and have written to the NZRFU to formally express our regret and apologies for what occurred,” said SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer.
“It was never the intention to schedule any activities that would coincide with such an iconic moment of any Test match against the All Blacks. That it occurred was a result of timekeeping challenges and simple human error.
“In the confusion, the crowd’s excited cheering was mistaken to have marked the conclusion of the Haka by an unsighted sound engineer who restarted the music programme. It was highly regrettable but in no way deliberate.”
South Africans let’s talk… we were wrong for disrespecting the Haka yesterday 🥹😌 pic.twitter.com/yzMyx4bmTG
Oberholzer said SA Rugby was distressed by the breach of protocol and the apparent display of lack of respect it may have suggested.
“We hold dear the values and traditions of the game,” said Oberholzer.
“The unfortunate events in no way represent any lack of respect that South African rugby holds for the significance and history of the Haka. We will ensure such errors cannot be repeated.”
Haka at Ellis Park 😤#RSAvNZL #AllBlacks pic.twitter.com/nwJ2huCh1u
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 31, 2024
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