Israel’s security screenings for foreign pilots remain unchanged after flydubai attack — report

Israel has not ramped up security screenings to vet pilots flying into the country, 11 days after the terror attack aboard a flydubai flight perpetrated by the plane’s Omani copilot as it was en route to Tel Aviv, according to a report by Channel 12.

On September 30 the first officer of flydubai’s Flight 1073 attacked the captain and tried to crash the plane. The flydubai attack has raised serious questions about how pilots flying into Israel are vetted and what kind of security protocols they face — particularly those from countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel.

The Transportation Ministry is expected to present results of an investigation conducted in recent days as it seeks to expand security checks on pilots, the Channel 12 report said.

In an email cited by Channel 12, the head of the National Passenger Assessment Center told the Transportation Ministry that it is currently not possible to screen crew members on incoming foreign aircraft 48 hours before take-off. Currently the data on foreign flight crews is provided by the airlines after the plane doors are closed. The network says there is no clear solution to this issue at this time.