Pilot attack on Tel Aviv flight sparks safety review in Israel

Israel is reviewing its aviation safety procedures after a co-pilot from Oman allegedly attacked the captain of a flydubai flight heading to Tel Aviv and tried to bring down the plane. The Wednesday flight carried 182 people, including eight crew members, before it made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The Incident

Indian captain Smit Machchhar was hurt during the cockpit assault but managed to open the door, allowing passengers to step inside and stop the co-pilot. Other pilots on the flight then helped take control of the aircraft. Flight data showed the plane squawked codes 7700 and 7500 and made a complete turn over Jordan prior to landing in Saudi Arabia. Authorities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel are leading the probe, with assistance from the United States and Oman to figure out what happened and why.

Policy and Vetting

Channel 12 reported that Israel previously let numerous Omani pilots fly into the country despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties between Oman and Israel. The network stated that Israel relied on foreign airlines to enforce pilot rules rather than checking backgrounds directly, while the Shin Bet security service only asked the airline not to use pilots from non-allied nations. An anonymous airline industry official claimed the Shin Bet chose to overlook the matter, expecting the airline to handle it. Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post noted that the bilateral aviation pact between Israel and the UAE did not require pilots to come from countries with diplomatic ties.

Official Responses

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the country will now run its own pilot identity checks and vetting for all incoming flights. Former national security adviser Eyal Hulata admitted that officials previously viewed a pilot threat as an unlikely scenario. Aviation security expert Menachem Bachrach suggested the event points to a compliance issue rather than broken rules, while former Boeing security chief Dave Komendat argued that crew screening ought to match passenger checks. Philip Baum from Coventry University pointed out that secure cockpit doors can accidentally block help when the threat comes from inside the flight deck.

Context

Aviation security rules have historically concentrated heavily on passengers and luggage while treating crew members with a lower level of individual background screening. This incident has forced a re-examination of how security agencies monitor flight deck personnel and handle emergency diversions.