Shin Bet Warned of Unsafe UAE Flights Before Flydubai Incident

Questions have arisen regarding the security of flights from the UAE to Israel following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai plane by its Omani co-pilot on September 30, 2026. The head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, had reportedly warned for months that he considered the security measures on flights from the UAE to be insufficient. Channel 12 News reported on October 1 that the Shin Bet and Israeli airlines had a dispute weeks before the incident, with the security service prohibiting them from flying to the Emirates due to safety concerns. However, these warnings primarily concerned Israeli airlines, whose security abroad is overseen by the Shin Bet. Flydubai, being a foreign carrier, is not directly controlled by the Shin Bet. Israel's system distinguishes between Israeli airlines, for which the Shin Bet sets security requirements, and foreign airlines flying to Israel, which undergo different licensing and security procedures. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that the Shin Bet's concerns extended to the security level of flights from the UAE to Israel, suggesting that foreign carriers might have less stringent security, which could have potentially prevented the Flydubai incident.

Foreign commercial flights must obtain permits and pass multiple oversight levels. Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issues flight permits to foreign airlines and sets their operational conditions. Its air supervision unit also inspects foreign carriers and personnel. The Ministry of Transport's Aviation Security Operations Center (ASOC) monitors security procedures for aircraft entering and transiting Israeli airspace and coordinates with security agencies, civil aviation, and the government. The 2020 air services agreement between Israel and the UAE governs flight operations. Foreign carriers must comply with Israeli regulations, and aviation authorities have licensing and oversight mechanisms. However, it remains unclear if every foreign pilot is individually screened before each flight to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview with Fox News that pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel should not be hired for flights to the country, suggesting the Omani co-pilot "bypassed" these rules. He called this a loophole requiring pre-flight checks. If such a restriction was indeed in place for Flydubai, the question arises as to why an existing rule did not prevent the incident.

Concerns about the division of authority between agencies were previously raised in a May 2024 report by State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman on international civil aviation security. The report, covering April 2022 to June 2023, involved the Shin Bet, Ministry of Transport, Israel Airports Authority, and National Security Council, with much of its findings classified. The public portion recommended a joint review by several bodies to cover all aspects of international aviation security, including foreign flights. Engelman noted that some regulations dated back to the 1970s and proposed reassessing their relevance, redistributing responsibilities, and developing a cohesive policy. While the report did not specifically address UAE flights or confirm a failure in this case, its recommendation for redefining agency responsibilities has become pertinent following Netanyahu's remarks about the loophole.

A senior source indicated that aviation agreements include detailed security requirements that can be updated based on threat levels. If agreed conditions for UAE flights were not met, and Israeli authorities were aware of issues, flights should have been halted until resolved. The investigation will now focus on the specific conditions set for Flydubai, who was responsible for verifying compliance, whether the Shin Bet shared its UAE security concerns with relevant agencies, and how the Omani pilot ended up on the flight if a rule should have prevented it.