Overview
- The incident that prompted the change occurred on Sept. 30 when an Omani co‑pilot allegedly attacked the captain aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, the captain was stabbed, and passengers and off‑duty pilots subdued the attacker before the plane landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- On Oct. 29 Israeli authorities ordered airlines to submit full crew lists at least 48 hours before departure so security officials have time to check identities and backgrounds before flights to or from Israel.
- Reporting and internal documents revealed operational failings that the new rule targets, including a March 2025 National Security Council warning that the Transportation Ministry had not implemented its assigned foreign‑aviation duties and that the ministry lacked access to the National Center for Passenger Assessment.
- Investigations found that airlines often sent crew data very late — sometimes only minutes before takeoff or after departure — and that rules governing UAE‑Israel routes expect pilots to be citizens of Abraham Accords states, meaning an Omani co‑pilot should not have been assigned to the flight.
- Probes by Israeli, Emirati and Saudi authorities continue and Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered a full review of foreign‑flight security, with officials and carriers likely to face further procedural and data‑sharing changes that will affect how foreign crews are vetted and cleared to operate flights.