Israel's Transportation Ministry Ordered Ethiopian Airlines Jet Turned Back
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Israel's Ministry of Transportation confirmed it ordered an Ethiopian Airlines flight with an Indonesian pilot to return mid-flight due to the pilot being from a country banned from flying to Israel. The decision was made using data from the National Passenger Security Center database after the flight had already departed. This incident occurs amidst ongoing debate about responsibility for flight security, particularly following a recent attempted attack on a Flydubai flight.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's Ministry of Transportation ordered an Ethiopian Airlines flight with an Indonesian pilot to turn back mid-air.
- The pilot was from a country banned from flying to Israel, triggering the security measure.
- The decision was made using data from the National Passenger Security Center database.
- The incident follows a recent attempted attack on a Flydubai flight.
- The Ministry's Security Department is responsible for securing incoming flights.
- The head of the Security Department is under investigation for holding a second unauthorized role.
Israel's Ministry of Transportation has confirmed it ordered an Ethiopian Airlines flight, carrying an Indonesian pilot, to turn back mid-air on Monday night. The unusual decision was made due to safety regulations, as the pilot was found to be from a country banned from flying to Israel, similar to Iran and Oman. The Ministry's Security Department utilized data from the National Passenger Security Center (Mal'an) database to identify the pilot's nationality after the plane doors had closed. This incident follows a recent attempted attack on a Flydubai flight.
A Knesset subcommittee on intelligence recently discussed the issue, revealing that hundreds of aircrew members from banned countries have entered Israel this year alone, flying numerous aircraft without prior restrictions. The Ministry's Security Department is responsible for the security of incoming flights, a role that has been a point of contention. While Transportation Minister Miri Regev initially suggested the Mossad and Shin Bet were responsible for flight security, critics pointed to the Security Department's official duties, which explicitly include securing inbound flights. A document signed by the department's head, Avri Cohen, also affirmed this responsibility.
Cohen himself is under police investigation for allegedly holding a second role as a security officer for a flight company without authorization. The Mal'an database, established three years ago by the Population and Immigration Authority to provide security identity details for aircrew, was reportedly only accessed by the Ministry of Transportation after the Flydubai incident. The Ministry explained that the database did not meet the legal requirement of providing data 48 hours before a flight, only presenting information after the plane doors closed.
This incident demonstrates a new proactive approach by the Ministry's Security Department to prevent pilots from banned countries from entering Israel. It highlights both the potential benefit of the Mal'an database, even with its limitations, and the problematic delay in the Ministry's integration with it. Questions remain about why the database is not updated 48 hours prior to flights and how to ensure it can prevent future security threats.
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