Airlines Must Vet Israeli Flight Crews Under New Transport Ministry Directive
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Israel's Ministry of Transport has mandated that foreign airlines verify the citizenship of all flight crews on flights to or through Israeli airspace, effective October 8. This directive follows an attempted hijacking on September 30 by a FlyDubai co-pilot, Hamam Al-Hammami, who sought to crash the plane into Israel. The new rules hold airlines responsible for ensuring crew members do not hold citizenship from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel, as the Defense Ministry considers further verification methods.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Foreign airlines must now verify crew citizenship for flights to Israel under new directives.
- Airlines are responsible for ensuring crew have no citizenship from non-diplomatic nations.
- The directive follows a September 30 attempted hijacking by a FlyDubai co-pilot.
- The co-pilot, Hamam Al-Hammami, allegedly targeted Israeli landmarks or a U.S. base.
- The captain was injured preventing the hijacking, with passengers subduing the attacker.
Israel's Ministry of Transport's Aviation Security Center issued new directives on Thursday, October 8, requiring foreign airlines to verify the citizenship of crew members on all flights bound for or transiting through Israeli airspace. The instructions, which took effect immediately, mandate that airlines confirm that all flight crew members have undergone thorough background and security checks compliant with national regulations. A key provision states that airlines are solely responsible for ensuring no crew member holds citizenship, including dual citizenship, from a country that does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel.
The Ministry of Defense is reportedly exploring methods to verify the identities of commercial flight crews, with a 24-hour visa for crews flying to Israel being considered, though this would not apply to transit flights. These measures follow an incident on September 30 where Hamam Al-Hammami, a co-pilot on a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, attempted to hijack the aircraft carrying 174 passengers and crew. His alleged targets included the Azrieli Towers and Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, or potentially a U.S. military base in Jordan. The hijacking was thwarted by the captain, who was severely injured, allowing passengers to subdue Al-Hammami. Investigations revealed Al-Hammami, who has Omani and Syrian heritage, joined FlyDubai in February 2026 and specifically sought assignments to Tel Aviv, intending to crash the plane, possibly near Ben Gurion Airport.
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