Did Israel ignore warnings? UAE shared info about flydubai crew & Omani co-pilot before flight
The United Arab Emirates had shared with Israel information on the passengers and crew aboard the FlyDubai flight whose Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and tried to seize control of the aircraft, according to regional officials cited by The Associated Press. The disclosure has raised fresh questions over how the co-pilot was able to board an Israel-bound flight despite having previously been barred from flying by Oman over concerns about his extremist views.The UAE, which is leading the investigation, has described Wednesday’s incident as a “terrorist attack”. The co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit’s crash axe before attempting to take control of the plunging aircraft. The plane, carrying 182 people, was eventually stabilised after the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and others to overpower the attacker.Also read: Crew of flydubai demanded release of co-pilot after he attacked Smit, claim flyersThe latest details have put the spotlight on possible security failures in Israel, the UAE and the airlines involved. According to regional officials cited by AP, the UAE had provided Israel with information about those aboard the flight, including their nationalities. Israel, however, had not raised any red flags over either a passenger or crew member, the officials said. Israel’s security system under scrutinyThe Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, has said responsibility for vetting passenger lists from foreign flights lies with the transportation ministry. Transportation minister Miri Regev, however, told public broadcaster Kan that security agencies were responsible for flight security and that her ministry had not been given a passenger list or any warning about the co-pilot.Also read: Co-pilot’s chilling admission after trying to crash flydubai jetThe Times of Israel, citing Army Radio and internal National Security Council documents, reported that Israeli security bodies had warned for years that the Transportation Ministry was not adequately equipped to carry out security checks on foreign airlines flying into the country.In 2021, Israel’s security cabinet removed responsibility for such checks from the Shin Bet and assigned the Civil Aviation Authority, under the transportation ministry, responsibility for ensuring that security procedures on foreign flights met international requirements.A classified 2024 state comptroller report reportedly found that the ministry was not meeting its obligations. In May 2024, the security cabinet ordered the National Security Council to form a team involving the Transportation Ministry, Civil Aviation Authority, Shin Bet, Mossad and Finance Ministry to examine the security framework for international commercial flights.
On September 30, flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced an in-flight cockpit attack.
The discussions continued for about a year. According to documents cited by Army Radio, the Shin Bet said it lacked the manpower and budget to handle security checks for foreign flights, while the NSC agreed that the Transportation Ministry should assume responsibility but said it would need additional resources.There was reportedly strong internal opposition within the ministry. One source involved in the discussions told Army Radio: “The Shin Bet and Mossad knew full well that the Transportation Ministry was in pieces, that it had no people, no positions, and no capabilities.”The source added: “How did they just shrug off responsibility like that and dump everything on the transportation ministry? The responsibility lies with the transportation ministry — but the Shin Bet and Mossad also enabled this failure, and the writing was on the wall.”The transportation ministry has rejected the allegations as “completely false”. It said responsibility for foreign flights had existed within the ministry for decades and that it was incorrect to portray it as a recently transferred responsibility. It also said the National Security Council and other security bodies had approved its procedures. Co-pilot was previously barred from flyingThe scrutiny is particularly sharp because the co-pilot, identified by people familiar with the investigation as Hamam al-Hammami, had reportedly already come to the attention of authorities in Oman.According to AP, a regional official and another person familiar with the matter said Oman had barred al-Hammami from flying because of concerns that he had adopted extremist views. He was subsequently moved to an administrative position at Oman Air before later being hired by UAE-based FlyDubai.A Gulf diplomat cited by AP said al-Hammami had undergone standard security checks before being hired, but those checks appeared to focus on criminal convictions rather than examining his background for possible signs of radicalisation.The incident has also raised questions over how an Omani national was permitted to serve on a flight carrying Israeli passengers. Israel and Oman do not have diplomatic relations, and Israel has said it has agreements with foreign airlines restricting pilots from countries without diplomatic ties from operating flights to the country.The UAE has shared information about the incident with Israel as the investigation continues. Four regional countries are reportedly working to establish the co-pilot’s motive, with assistance from the US and other Western governments. Investigators have so far not found a connection between him and a militant group, according to a Gulf diplomat cited by AP.
