FlyDubai attack: Israel had crew list, so how did ‘banned’ pilot avoid checks? What we know | Today’s news

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates provided Israel with details of the passengers and crew on board the FlyDubai flight before the co-pilot from Oman attempted to take control of the plane and crash it, the Associated Press reported.

The disclosure raised new questions about how the co-pilot managed to pass security checks despite concerns about his past. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, preliminary findings point to several possible security failures.

Officials previously said the co-pilot, who was from Oman, was banned from flying in his home country due to concerns over his extremist views.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

A FlyDubai co-pilot was able to bypass security checks despite concerns about his extremist views, leading to questions about the effectiveness of security protocols in place.

The incident raised concerns given that Oman has no formal ties to Israel, yet the co-pilot was part of the crew of a flight carrying Israeli passengers to Tel Aviv.

Indian captain Smit Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door and sought help from the passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot during the descent.

The investigation is focusing on the background of the co-pilot, the motives behind the attack and how he was hired despite previous flight bans due to extremist views.

Yes, the incident points to a potential security failure, suggesting that aviation authorities may need to review and strengthen flight crew detection and screening procedures.

There were also questions about how an Omani national was allowed to serve on a flight with Israeli passengers to Tel Aviv, given that Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The United Arab Emirates, which is overseeing the investigation, described Wednesday’s incident as a “terrorist attack.” According to officials, the co-pilot used a crash ax in the cockpit to attack the captain before attempting to take control of the plane as it descended.

Read also | FlyDubai co-pilot who attacked was removed by Oman Air for radical views?

There were 182 people on board at the time of the incident. The Indian captain eventually managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and others to enter and overpower the attacker, officials said.

Israel says no passengers or crew members were tagged

Regional officials said the UAE shared information about every passenger on the flight with Israel, including details of their nationalities.

However, Israel has not identified any passengers or crew members as a security concern, officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation.

Read also | What we know about the pilots who saved the Dubai-Tel Aviv Flydubai flight from crashing

Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet, said responsibility for checking passenger lists from foreign flights lies with the Ministry of Transport.

Transport Minister Miri Regev disputed the account in an interview with Israel’s public broadcaster Kan. She said security agencies were responsible for the safety of flights and claimed her ministry had not received a list of passengers, nor had any concerns been raised.

Aviation security officials explain the passenger screening process

Sharing passenger information with the country of destination is a routine part of international aviation procedures. However, Dvir Rubenstien, head of aviation security at Israel’s transport ministry, said the ministry does not independently screen every passenger on foreign flights.

In an interview with Army Radio, Rubenstien said the ministry depends on local security checks. He added that he does not have the tools or ability to conduct individual checks on every passenger on every flight.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel has long-standing agreements with Israel foreign carriers prevent pilots from flying into the country if they are citizens of countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

Australian police said on Sunday that counter-terrorism investigators were looking into the attacker’s possible links to Australia.

The passengers who stopped the attack and helped regain control of the plane were hailed as heroes in Israel.

There are questions about security failures

But once the initial euphoria of the rescue subsided, officials began raising tough questions and business accusations about safety lapses that could have led to a major disaster.

Ahead of elections at the end of the month, some opposition candidates have seized on security failures to highlight what they perceive as negligence on the part of Netanyahu and his supporters. Transport Minister Regev is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party and a staunch supporter.

“This is exactly what the collapse of the system looks like,” wrote Yair Golan, head of the opposition Democratic Party on X. “A transport minister who is completely abandoning our skies and a prime minister who is abandoning national security.”

It also remains unclear how FlyDubai, the Emirati low-cost airline that operates flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, failed to identify the Omani pilot as a security risk.

Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University in England, who has written a book on hijackings and bombings, said background check systems differ from country to country and there are restrictions on what types of information can be shared.

“In terms of aviation security itself, of course we want to have the most extensive background checks possible. But in any case, there are huge limitations to background checks, especially for cross-border checks,” he said.

(With input from the AP news agency)