Omani Pilot Planned Previous Attack on Tel Aviv Flight, Report Says

The Omani pilot who attempted to crash a Flydubai flight had planned the attack before being hired by the airline, two Israeli sources told Reuters on Monday. A third Israeli source familiar with the investigation in the UAE stated that the pilot had intended to carry out an attack on a previous flight to Tel Aviv within the last year but ultimately reconsidered. Investigations into the pilot are ongoing in the UAE. He reportedly confessed during questioning that he applied to all airlines, specifically checking which ones flew to Tel Aviv, which is why he chose Flydubai. He claimed the plan predated his employment. An Israeli investigative team arrived in the UAE over the weekend to join the inquiry alongside security officials from other nations. Investigators are examining suspicions that the pilot had previously traveled to Israel and are operating under the assumption he acted alone. In response to security lapses, including the airline's failure to screen for religious extremism, security officials have called for an inquiry and a ban on pilots from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, to appoint an examiner to conduct a thorough review of all security aspects concerning foreign civilian aviation arriving in Israel. This directive comes amid an exchange of accusations between the Ministry of Transport and security agencies. A discussion held in June 2023 at the National Security Council, involving representatives from the Shin Bet and Mossad, addressed the transfer of intelligence to civilian bodies. Ministry of Transport representatives clarified that, according to prior decisions, the ministry is responsible for the security of foreign flights. However, they argued that effective execution of this responsibility requires deep understanding of threats, and the current intelligence provided is significantly lacking. The discussion concluded with the Mossad agreeing to increase intelligence sharing with the Ministry of Transport, a step that was not implemented. Official data revealed that dozens of Omani citizens have entered Israel on tourist visas in recent years: 10 in 2022, 29 in 2023, 9 in 2024, and 11 in 2025, with Omani citizens continuing to enter this year. While Oman is not considered an enemy state, it is believed that some of these individuals are aircrew. This situation suggests that other incidents may have occurred without triggering alerts, indicating a failure to meet the aviation agreement's requirement for aircrew to hold diplomatic passports from countries with relations with Israel. The Ministry of Transport stated, "The working assumption is that this did not happen, but we cannot say with certainty."