UAE shared FlyDubai crew list with Israel, officials say

The United Arab Emirates gave Israel a list of passengers and crew before FlyDubai flight FZ1073 took off, regional officials told The Associated Press on Sunday. The list included the pilots' names and nationalities. On that flight, the Omani co-pilot tried to seize control of the Israel-bound plane and crash it. The disclosure raises new questions about how the attacker got past security checks. The officials said Israel did not flag anyone on board. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.audacy+2

Israeli agencies point at each other

The officials said Emirati authorities had shared details about everyone on board, including their nationalities. In Israel, the news set off finger-pointing between government bodies. The Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, said the Transportation Ministry is responsible for vetting passenger lists from foreign flights. Transportation Minister Miri Regev told the public broadcaster Kan that flight security is the job of the security agencies, and that her ministry received no passenger list and no warnings.ctvnews+1

The co-pilot had reportedly been barred from flying in Oman because of concerns about his extremist views. Oman has no diplomatic relations with Israel. On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has long-standing agreements with foreign airlines that bar pilots from such countries from flying into Israel. It is still unclear how FlyDubai, a low-cost airline owned by the Dubai government, failed to identify him as a risk.audacy+4

The attack and the investigation

The attack happened on Wednesday, Sept. 30, on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. On Saturday, UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot carried out an attempted "terrorist attack." He said the co-pilot hit the captain with the cockpit's crash axe and tried to take over the aircraft's controls. A source told Reuters the co-pilot is Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Flightradar24 data showed the plane dropping more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. The injured Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, managed to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers and crew then rushed in and overpowered the attacker, and a reserve pilot landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.reuters+1

The UAE is leading the investigation, and Israeli investigators are taking part. FlyDubai has suspended its flights to Israel.reuters+1

Questions about vetting

The incident has also drawn investor interest in aviation safety and security companies. Simply Wall St pointed to stocks including Cohort, FACC and Figeac Aero as regulators and airlines review how pilots are screened and how cockpits are secured.simplywall

Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University, said background checks differ from country to country.

> "There are huge limitations on doing background checks in any case, especially in cross-border checks," he said.audacy