Regev Demands Urgent Security Measures After Flydubai Cockpit Attack
The Transportation Ministry has completed its preliminary review of the September 30 attack and the minister has asked the National Security Council for immediate steps, Ynet reports. Crew vetting 48 hours before flights to Israel is among the measures under discussion.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev has asked National Security Council head Shmuel Ben Ezra for immediate measures to prevent another attack like the one aboard a flydubai flight to Israel, after her ministry completed its preliminary review of the September 30 incident, Ynet reported on October 6.
What the review found
The ministry's examination is one part of a wider investigation that is still under way. Regev's appeal to the National Security Council puts the emphasis on prevention now, before the full inquiry reports, and on coordination between the ministry, the security services and the airlines flying into Israel.
Vetting foreign crews
Separate Ynet reporting on a Knesset discussion described the measures being sought. The National Security Council was asked to work with the Mossad and the Shin Bet to identify countries considered high risk. Crew lists for flights from those countries would be submitted for security screening and approval 48 hours before departure to Israel.
The Population and Immigration Authority would also be required to pass the ministry's security department the details of passengers and crew holding passports from countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel. These are steps under discussion or being demanded, not a system already in operation.
The attack
On September 30 one pilot of the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv stabbed the captain in the cockpit. The captain fought back and opened the cockpit door, and passengers subdued the attacker and helped stabilize the aircraft, which diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. UAE prosecutors have described the assault as an attempted terrorist attack. Six of the passengers will receive the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism on Thursday.
The UAE criminal investigation and Israel's review of its own procedures are separate processes. One concerns the attacker; the other concerns how Israel screens the flights that land at Ben Gurion.
What has to change
The passengers' courage saved the flight, but it is not evidence that the checks before departure were adequate. The gap the review points to is between information and action: a crew list is only useful if someone checks it and can stop a departure in time.
The next step is confirmation of which measures are adopted, which flights they cover and who is responsible for enforcing them. Until then, travelers should read the reports as a demand for action rather than a change already in force.
