Israel Mandates Earlier Crew Data for Flights After Dubai Air Attack
Translated & summarized from Bizportal by baba
Israel now requires airlines to submit flight crew manifests 48 hours before departures to and from the country, following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight. The new policy from MALAN aims to give security agencies more time for vetting. The change comes after an Omani co-pilot allegedly tried to hijack a Flydubai plane in September, an incident that led to operational disruptions for the airline. The updated rules focus on the timing of data submission, leaving background check responsibilities for foreign pilots still under discussion.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel now mandates airlines submit crew lists 48 hours before flights to and from the country.
- The new policy aims to give security agencies more time to vet flight crews.
- The change follows an alleged hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight by its co-pilot.
- The attacker was subdued, and the flight was diverted safely to Saudi Arabia.
- The incident caused operational halts for Flydubai's flights to Israel.
- Questions remain regarding the vetting process and responsibility for foreign pilots.
Israel is enhancing its aviation security protocols by requiring airlines to submit crew manifests 48 hours before scheduled departures for flights to and from the country. This new policy, issued by the National Center for Passenger Data Diagnosis (MALAN) within the Tax Authority, aims to provide security agencies with more time to vet flight crews.
The updated directive mandates that all airlines, both Israeli and foreign, must submit initial crew lists 48 hours prior to takeoff. A more comprehensive and updated list is due during check-in, up to two hours before departure. Any changes, even a single crew member substitution, necessitate resubmitting the entire list. A final manifest must be submitted at the time of departure, with data to be received by SITA, the infrastructure provider for MALAN, within 15 minutes.
This measure follows an incident on September 30th involving a Flydubai flight (FZ1073) where a co-pilot allegedly attempted to hijack the aircraft. The attempt was thwarted by the captain, another crew member, and passengers, who subdued the attacker. The flight was safely diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
MALAN, established by law in 2023, manages a database of passenger and crew data for flights to and from Israel, accessible to security bodies like the Shin Bet and police. While basic information on the alleged attacker had reached MALAN before the flight, its security implications were only understood post-incident. The new policy focuses on the timing and completeness of information submission, rather than the process of background checks for foreign pilots, leaving questions about responsibility for vetting and potential intervention unresolved.
The operational impact for airlines could be significant, particularly for those with flexible crewing arrangements. Flydubai, which operated approximately 70 flights per week between Dubai and Tel Aviv, faced operational halts on this route following the incident, with Emirates also suspending onward connections to Israel. Flydubai is a government-owned airline, part of the Dubai Investment Corporation, which also owns Emirates.
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