Omani Pilots Flying to Israel Sparks Security Scandal

Israel's aviation security faces scrutiny after a "terrorist act attempt" on a Flydubai flight revealed that dozens of Omani pilots had been flying into Israeli airports for years, despite the lack of diplomatic ties between Oman and Israel. The incident, which occurred on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, involved a co-pilot, an Omani citizen, who allegedly attacked the captain. Israeli passengers subdued the co-pilot, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia with a reserve crew. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the event as an attempted Islamist terrorist attack aimed at destroying a civilian aircraft.

Following the incident, Israel's Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced a six-day suspension of all Flydubai flights to the country, with the possibility of extension. Regev stated that Flydubai had "grossly violated" a bilateral aviation agreement with the UAE, which stipulates that only pilots from countries with diplomatic relations with Israel are permitted to land on its territory.

This revelation has raised serious questions about how Omani pilots were allowed to fly into Israel. Experts suggest two possibilities: either Flydubai deliberately concealed the pilots' nationalities when filing flight plans, or Israeli security services were negligent in their checks, approving flight plans without verifying crew nationalities.

A special inter-ministerial committee, including representatives from the Ministry of Economy, the National Security Council, and the Civil Aviation Authority, is now considering revoking Flydubai's license to operate in Israel. Meanwhile, the 174 passengers from the affected flight, three of whom sustained minor injuries, were safely evacuated and returned to Ben Gurion Airport.