Netanyahu Acknowledges Security Lapses After Dubai Flight Hijacking Attempt

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged significant security failures and gaps in the oversight of foreign aviation to Israel, five days after a near-hijacking of a Flydubai flight. The incident, which was narrowly averted, exposed numerous security vulnerabilities.

In response, Netanyahu has instructed the head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, to appoint an examiner to conduct a thorough review of all security aspects of foreign civilian aviation operating to and from Israel. The timeline for this review and the speed at which any identified security breaches will be addressed remain unclear.

This decision comes after years of warnings about deficiencies in foreign aviation security. A May 2024 report by State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman highlighted serious failures in the security of international civilian aviation to and from Israel, including concerning foreign airlines' aircraft. The report recommended that the National Security Council lead a joint effort with the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance, Israel Airports Authority, Shin Bet, and police to formulate a comprehensive aviation security policy.

Responsibility for foreign flights officially lies with the Ministry of Transport's Security, Emergency, and Cyber Department, which is supposed to assess security risks and provide directives to airlines. However, the ministry claims it lacks the intelligence capabilities for thorough background checks on crew and passengers, relying instead on security measures in countries of origin and airline self-regulation. In the Flydubai case, the crew list was not even received by the ministry, despite the airline's commitment to vetting its staff and implementing restrictions on pilots from countries without relations with Israel. Nevertheless, an Omani pilot, Mam Al-Hami, was assigned to the flight.

Further complicating matters, the Ministry of Transport's security department suffers from a significant staff shortage, with its official staffing levels reduced and several senior positions vacant. This personnel deficit hinders its ability to effectively implement security protocols, including accessing passenger data for foreign flight crews as permitted by a 2023 law. The idea of a centralized aviation security authority has been proposed multiple times since 2011 but has never been implemented.

Concerns about security extend beyond Dubai, according to Dani Shenar, former head of the Ministry of Transport's security department. He warned that while major airports have advanced security, smaller airports in peripheral areas and islands, which also serve flights to Israel, have much lower security standards, posing a significant risk.