Emirates took to the skies above South Africa to perform the country’s first-ever flypast with an Airbus A380, becoming the first international airline to do so.
The flight occurred on September 1, 2024, with the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft flying at an altitude of just 500 feet above the Emirates Airline Park, right before the start of the rugby test match between South Africa’s Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks. The aircraft greeted 62,000 rugby and aviation fans who had gathered to see the game.
The aircraft took off from O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) at 16:00 local time and, traveling at a speed of 140 kts (259.28 km/h), arrived at the stadium at 16:58 local time, just as the South African and New Zealand national anthems were about to commence.
Longtime pilot Mubarak Al Mheiri commanded the flight alongside Technical Pilots for the Airbus A380 Khalid Binsultan and Abdalla Al Hammadi, as well as A380 Captain Richard Fiess. Mubarak has flown with Emirates for 19 years and has completed over 7,200 hours in the A380 aircraft.
“Tonight’s record-setting flypast is a powerful display of our unwavering commitment to South Africa,” Afzal Parambil, Country Manager of Southern Africa, said in a press release. “It encapsulates our ongoing partnership with key stakeholders, including the Civil Aviation Authority, O.R. Tambo International Airport, Emirates Lions and, of course, our customers and travel partners here over the years.”
The flypast also marks the return of Emirates’ second A380 service on the Dubai-Johannesburg route, connecting destinations in East Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Emirates also sponsors the Cape Town Sevens Tournament, one of the most popular live sporting events in South Africa, regularly attracting more than 100,000 spectators.