Israel will tighten security checks on all pilots flying into the country after a flydubai cockpit incident on Tuesday in which a co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and tried to crash the aircraft. The move covers both Israeli and foreign carriers, with authorities seeking to identify pilots in advance and subject them to screening before flights reach Israel.
The policy shift follows an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ramp up security on inbound services, according to his office. Doron Spielman, a spokesman for the prime minister’s office, said the new approach would require officials to know who the pilots are before they fly into Israel.
The incident prompted flydubai to suspend services to Tel Aviv while investigators examined what happened aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai. The aircraft was carrying more than 170 Israelis, and the diversion underscored the sensitivity of aviation security on routes into Israel.
Israel already applies some of the world’s strictest aviation security measures, but officials plan to go further after the cockpit attack. No formal rule text or implementation timetable has been disclosed, leaving the scope of the new screening regime unclear for now.