Stories
Israel Admits No Checks on Foreign Pilots After Flydubai Cockpit Attack
- •Israel's Transportation Ministry acknowledges it does not conduct background checks on foreign pilots flying into the country, stating it cannot guarantee complete safety for flights operated by foreign airlines.
- •The admission follows an investigation into an alleged attack by Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami on Indian captain Smit Machchhar aboard Flydubai Flight 1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
- •The ministry's security division does not receive foreign pilot names in advance and lacks personnel abroad for individual checks, stating, "Nothing is 100% when it comes to security."
- •Transportation Minister Miri Regev clarified that security assessments for air travel fall under Israel's security establishment, not her ministry.
- •The incident raises questions about Israel's enforcement of restrictions on pilots from countries without diplomatic relations, as Oman had previously barred al-Hammami from flying due to extremist views before he was hired by Flydubai.
Key Questions Answered
Israel's Transportation Ministry stated that its security division does not function as an intelligence body and lacks both the advance crew manifests and the overseas personnel needed to perform individual checks on foreign flight crews.
Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, prompting an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a steep descent caused rudder damage.
Oman had previously barred al-Hammami from flying over concerns regarding extremist views, moving him to an administrative role at Oman Air. Although he later passed standard security checks for Flydubai, those evaluations primarily focused on criminal records rather than radicalization.
