Israel's Aviation Security Lapses Exposed Amid Flydubai Incident

An investigation into a Flydubai flight incident has revealed significant security lapses in Israel's oversight of commercial foreign airline crews, contrasting sharply with stringent checks on private flights. Despite the potential risks associated with commercial flights carrying hundreds of passengers, the Ministry of Transportation's Aviation Security Operations Center (ASOC) relies on general company and national security procedures, granting seasonal approvals. This approach stems from a claimed lack of intelligence capabilities to conduct background checks on entire flight crews and passengers. The ministry is attempting to shift responsibility to the Mossad and Shin Bet, but both agencies deny primary responsibility for vetting foreign flight crews. The Shin Bet states its mandate covers only Israeli flights, while the Mossad asserts it is not their role to conduct such checks.

Past warnings about the inadequacy of vetting pilots from countries like Egypt and Jordan, issued by the Ministry of Transportation's Security Department in 2018, were reportedly dismissed by the National Insurance Institute. A state comptroller's report two years ago also highlighted deficiencies, yet no action appears to have been taken. Flydubai, in a 2020 written commitment to the ASOC, stated it had implemented required crew scheduling restrictions to comply with nationality limitations for flights to Israel. However, the current situation suggests a lack of enforcement, allowing airlines to potentially employ crew members from countries hostile to Israel without thorough vetting.

Minister of Transportation Miri Regev has attributed the failure to the Mossad, while suggesting a wait for an investigation in the Emirates to understand the breach. She indicated that the Tax Authority was responsible for collecting data based on a past government decision, but this list was not transferred to her ministry because intelligence agencies are tasked with identity verification. The Ministry of Transportation, in a briefing, claimed they rely on the foreign company's declaration of security checks performed on its crew, stating they are not an intelligence body with foreign capabilities. Aviation experts criticize this approach, emphasizing the need for clear responsibility allocation and the establishment of units with cyber and international intelligence capabilities to vet flight crews, including social media history checks. The current system leaves Israel vulnerable, with concerns that unknown individuals could be flying over densely populated areas without adequate scrutiny.