Former Airport Worker Claims Routine Passage of Hostile Nation Aircrews

This disclosure comes amidst an ongoing investigation in Israel following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight. The former worker stated that such security lapses have been a long-standing and common issue across various airlines, not exclusively with Emirates.

She further elaborated that flight attendants from hostile nations also passed through the airport with ease, describing the situation as "surreal." While some of these aircrew members attempted to enter Israel, they were reportedly denied entry when the system flagged their secondary passports. The former employee expressed bewilderment at how pilots from enemy states were allowed to fly into Israel.

This testimony emerges days after the Flydubai incident, during which Israeli authorities are examining whether pilots with dual citizenship, including from enemy states, have landed in Israel in recent years. Specifically, suspicions involve pilots holding Iranian, Syrian, and Iraqi citizenship.

Israeli officials are reportedly still awaiting permission to question the pilot, relying for now on reports from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Ministry of Transport's security department stated that aircrew lists were not received in advance and that all crew members underwent background checks by the airlines, with the department seeking their approval. They emphasized that the department is not an intelligence body responsible for vetting foreign aircrew, but rather relies on the airlines and governments. Flydubai has suspended flights to Israel pending the investigation's conclusion, as ordered by authorities to ensure no further breaches occur and that the incident was the act of a lone perpetrator, according to Shmuel Zakai, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority.