Dozens of Omani pilots flying for Flydubai have landed in Israel in recent years, according to a new report, raising serious questions about Israel’s aviation security screening procedures following Wednesday’s attempted terror attack aboard a flight from Dubai.
According to an N12 report, the startling information emerged as Israeli authorities began reviewing how the Omani copilot suspected of attempting to crash the Flydubai aircraft was cleared to operate a flight bound for Israel.
Despite the security sensitivities and the absence of diplomatic relations between Israel and Oman, dozens of Omani pilots working for Flydubai have reportedly entered Israeli airspace and landed in the country over the past several years.
Israeli authorities are now examining how those pilots received approval, what information Flydubai provided Israel regarding the identities and nationalities of its flight crews, and whether Israeli security officials were aware that Omani citizens were serving aboard the flights.
The investigation is also examining the procedures governing foreign airline crews entering Israel and whether the approvals issued to Flydubai personnel complied with existing security requirements.
The revelations take on particular significance following Wednesday’s attack, in which an Omani Flydubai copilot is suspected of stabbing the captain with a sharp object and attempting to crash the aircraft while it was carrying Israeli passengers.
Israeli security officials have formally classified the incident as a terrorist attack, although investigators have not found clear evidence thus far that the alleged attacker was directed by Iran. The leading assessment currently being examined is that he acted alone.
The Mossad is leading the investigation alongside the Shin Bet, with officials scrutinizing not only the suspected terrorist’s background but also the security mechanisms that allowed him to be assigned to a flight to Israel.
A senior Israeli security official earlier described the incident as an intelligence and security failure, saying that background checks involving pilots represent a potential vulnerability.
The review is now expanding beyond Wednesday’s alleged attacker to Flydubai’s broader practices and the information the airline has provided Israeli authorities about its crews.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
