New Delhi: Israeli authorities had access to passenger and crew information before a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was attacked in mid-air, according to the Associated Press. The list, according to the report, included the names and nationalities of those on board.
The Times of Israel reported that dozens of Omani pilots had previously flown to Israel despite the restrictions.
Officials in Tel Aviv did not flag any passenger or crew member after receiving the information, according to those officials. The report said airlines were generally trusted to enforce the rules, with Shin Bet not carrying out individual background checks on every foreign pilot. Israel’s Shin Bet said that the Transportation Ministry was responsible for vetting passenger and crew information received from foreign airlines. Transportation Minister Miri Regev said her ministry had not received a passenger list for the flight and had not been warned about a possible security threat involving anyone on board. Dvir Rubenstein, who heads aviation security at the Transportation Ministry, told Army Radio that the ministry does not have the tools or capacity to carry out detailed checks on every passenger and crew member before each flight.
A 2024 state comptroller review also examined whether the Transportation Ministry was meeting its responsibilities for security checks involving international commercial flights.
Israeli reports said responsibility for security checks on foreign airlines had moved from the Shin Bet to the Civil Aviation Authority under the Transportation Ministry. The ministry has rejected claims that it lacked the ability to perform its duties and said its procedures had been approved by relevant security bodies. Quoting people familiar with the case, the AP said that Oman had previously barred al-Hammami from flying because of doubts over his alleged “extremist views”.
The issue has a longer history. Internal talks later involved the National Security Council, Shin Bet, Mossad and other government bodies over how those checks should be handled. He was moved to an administrative role at the Oman Air before later joining the flydubai.
