Israel has tightened security requirements for airlines operating flights to and from the country, requiring carriers to submit crew details 48 hours before departure, a month after an attempted hijacking of a flydubai flight exposed gaps in the screening of foreign pilots and airline personnel.The new directives, issued Thursday by Israel’s National Center for Passenger Data Analysis, apply to all incoming and outgoing flights operated by Israeli and foreign airlines. Carriers must provide crew information at least 48 hours before departure, submit any subsequent updates no later than two hours before takeoff and issue a final list at takeoff, according to The Times of Israel.The measures were ordered by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a security review and are intended to give authorities sufficient time to conduct background checks, Bloomberg reported.The changes follow an incident on September 30, when Omani copilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot commanding a Flydubai flight carrying Israeli passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and overpower the attacker. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots who were travelling on the flight subsequently took over the controls and diverted the damaged aircraft to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.Machchhar and fellow flydubai crew members were recently honoured by the UAE with the First Class Order of Zayed II for their actions during the incident. The award was conferred by UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the medals presented by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.The incident raised questions about how Hammami had been cleared to operate the route, particularly after reports that he had previously been grounded by Oman Air after extremist material was found in his possession.
New screening measures
Israel’s Channel 13 reported that non-Israeli pilots, cabin crew and passengers travelling to or from the country will also be required to complete an online form 48 hours before entry. The forms will be reviewed by the Population Authority, while people arriving from countries designated as “red” will face additional scrutiny of entry forms and visa applications by the Mossad and Shin Bet, the report said.The Shin Bet, which previously oversaw security relating to Israeli airlines and provided security arrangements for flights departing Israel, will now also be responsible for procedures governing incoming foreign airlines and their overseas departure points.The changes follow reports of longstanding shortcomings in Israel’s oversight of foreign aviation security. According to Channel 13, airlines had been submitting crew lists shortly before departure, in some cases as late as 15 minutes after takeoff, leaving authorities little time to identify potential risks.A separate report cited an internal National Security Council document indicating that the Transportation Ministry had failed to fulfil responsibilities assigned to it for foreign airline security. The ministry had reportedly warned that it lacked the resources and operational capacity to carry out the duties, while an earlier warning in March 2025 flagged failures to comply with a cabinet directive on aviation security.The controversy also centred on access to passenger and crew data. Although the transportation ministry was authorised to access the National Center for Passenger Data Analysis’s database for aviation security purposes, reports said it had not taken the necessary steps to establish that access.Kan News reported that more than 1,200 crew members from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel, including Oman, Syria and Lebanon, had entered the country since the beginning of 2026. The figure has not been independently verified in the reports provided.The new rules are intended to close gaps in the screening process by giving Israeli authorities more time to examine crew information before flights depart.
