developing· Security· Updated
Israeli Airline Launches Security Checks on 2,500 Foreign Crew Members After Flydubai Incident
An Israeli airline has independently hired a private cybersecurity firm to conduct background checks on approximately 2,500 foreign pilots and flight attendants. The airline decided to act on its own, bypassing the Ministry of Transport, Shin Bet, and Mossad, to analyze the social media accounts and comments of these crew members for signs of radicalization or security risks.
3 newsrooms · 4 languages · since
What happened
- 01An Israeli airline hired a private cybersecurity firm to screen the social media accounts of 2,500 foreign pilots and flight attendants.
- 02The independent vetting bypasses Israeli government agencies, including the Ministry of Transport, Shin Bet, and Mossad.
- 03The security checks were initiated following an attempted terror attack on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
- 04The screening targets foreign crews operating under wet-lease agreements, who are not subject to Israel's standard aviation security protocols.
- 05Israeli charter carriers Israir and Arkia rely heavily on wet-leased aircraft and foreign crews to run their flights.
- 06The Ministry of Transport stated it lacks the intelligence apparatus required to vet foreign airlines and their crews.
The decision follows an attempted terror attack on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which exposed significant security gaps in Israel's aviation protocols. Under "wet lease" arrangements, where airlines rent aircraft complete with foreign crews, flights are not subject to the same stringent security measures mandated for Israeli carriers, such as armed sky marshals, missile defense systems, or advanced passenger screening.
Israeli charter airlines, including Israir and Arkia, rely heavily on wet-leased aircraft to maintain their operations. While Israeli security bodies have warned about inadequate checks on foreign crews for years, the Ministry of Transport stated it lacks the necessary intelligence capabilities to perform such vetting, prompting the airline to take this proactive measure.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: i24NEWS Arabic. Read i24NEWS Arabic’s original
The coverage
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Who covered it
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How it broke
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