Follwing the suspected suicide terror attack on the FlyDubai plane en route to Israel this morning, security officials and the Israel Airports Authority are now conducting a thorough investigation into how formal approval was granted for a pilot of Omani origin to fly to Israel, and whether the approval process followed the strict protocols of the Airports Authority, according to a report on Channel 12 News.
Due to the high geopolitical sensitivity surrounding relations with Middle Eastern countries, particularly Gulf states, every foreign aircrew member is required to undergo meticulous and individualized security screening and vetting before being granted clearance to enter Israeli airspace or land in the country.
Questions now being raised within the system include: Was this screening actually carried out in the present case? And if so, how was his arrival approved? Conversely, if the full screening was not conducted, the question arises how such a failure was possible.
Following a joint situation assessment conducted by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet, it was decided that immediately upon the passengers' arrival in Israel, all passengers and crew members will be transferred for immediate interrogation by Shin Bet personnel, in order to decipher the full circumstances and construct a complete picture of the unusual flight.
The Airports Authority spokesperson clarified that contrary to reports in the media, Israeli airspace is open and aviation operations are proceeding normally at all airports.
