Israel Tightens Airline Crew Screening After Flydubai Attack
New directives require airlines flying to Israel to submit crew details 48 hours before departure, giving authorities more time for security checks after last month's thwarted attack.
Israel issued new airline security directives Thursday requiring carriers to provide crew information at least 48 hours before departure, a month after an attack aboard a flydubai flight carrying Israeli passengers.
Airlines must also submit changes to crew details no later than two hours before departure and provide a final crew list at takeoff. The requirements are intended to give Israeli authorities more time to carry out background checks before aircraft leave for Israel.
The rules apply to Israeli and foreign airlines. They address a screening gap exposed by reports that crew information had sometimes reached Israeli authorities only shortly before departure or after a flight was already in the air.
The changes follow the September 30 attack on flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. An Omani copilot attacked the pilot and attempted to bring down the aircraft before the pilot and passengers intervened. The aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
The incident prompted scrutiny of how foreign airline crews were checked and how security information was shared among Israeli agencies. The new timetable is designed to move those checks earlier, rather than leaving authorities to review crew details after takeoff.
Thursday's announcement concerns new screening rules. The attack that prompted them took place last month.