On September 30, on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the Omani co-pilot attacked the captain and tried to take control of the plane, according to reports (NBC News). The UAE attorney general called it a terror attack. On Sunday Netanyahu ordered a thorough review of security procedures on foreign flights to Israel (Times of Israel). On Saturday evening the Transport Ministry confirmed that it does not carry out independent background checks on foreign pilots (Haaretz). According to the Times of Israel, a notice concerning citizens of 27 countries was sent to foreign airlines. Israeli and American media reported, citing unidentified sources, that the pilot planned to crash into Ben Gurion Airport or a building; this has not been officially confirmed. Eisenkot and Bennett demanded Regev’s dismissal, and she rejected responsibility.
The case exposes a gap between the assumption that the UAE and other states with normalized relations carry out screening, and Israel’s own responsibility to check who lands at Ben Gurion Airport. It also lands in the final weeks of the campaign, in which security is a central issue.
If you are flying to or from Israel, expect changes to crew and document procedures at foreign airlines, and possibly delays. Check notices from the airline before your flight.
The government responded quickly with a comprehensive review, and responsibility for vetting foreign crews should be shared between the airlines and the country of origin.
According to Haaretz reports, security bodies have warned for years that the ministry does not carry out the mandatory security checks on foreign flights, so accountability is needed, not just new procedures.
One question will determine how the affair develops: who signed off on the pilot’s permission to fly to Israel, and why he was not stopped. Until an official investigation is published, the claims about a plan to crash at Ben Gurion Airport are reports only. Watch the decision on the new rules, the UAE’s response and the polls in the coming weeks.
Times of Israel, Haaretz, NBC News, CBC, i24NEWS, Jerusalem Post (October 4, 2026)
After the flydubai incident: Netanyahu orders a full review of security procedures on foreign flights, and the opposition demands that Minister Regev be dismissed
The Transport Ministry confirmed on Saturday that it does not itself vet foreign pilots. According to reports, the Omani co-pilot planned to crash the plane at Ben Gurion Airport.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a thorough review of security procedures on foreign flights to Israel, the Times of Israel reported. The order came four days after the incident of September 30 on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to the reports, the co-pilot, an Omani citizen identified as Hamam al-Hamami, attacked the captain with an emergency axe and tried to take control of the plane. The UAE attorney general called the incident a terror attack, NBC News reported, and the investigation is in the hands of investigators from the Emirates and Israel.
On Saturday evening the Transport Ministry confirmed, according to reports in Haaretz and elsewhere, that it does not carry out independent background checks on foreign pilots and relies on the airlines. Following this, a letter was sent to foreign airlines, including American ones, which according to the Times of Israel concerns citizens of 27 countries. The details were provided by sources only and were not published officially. According to JFeed, the ministry has no way to verify that the airlines comply with the rules.
At the same time, Israeli and American media reported, citing unidentified sources, that the pilot planned to bring the plane down on the airport or on a building, and that he refrained from a similar attack on an earlier flight in July, as CBC and other outlets were told. Neither Israel nor the UAE has confirmed this officially. The Mossad, Shin Bet and the IDF are jointly examining how he was allowed to fly to Israel, the Jerusalem Post wrote. According to Channel 7, flydubai suspended its flights to Israel for six days.
Opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett demanded the dismissal of Transport Minister Miri Regev. Bennett blamed Netanyahu and Regev for direct responsibility, and Eisenkot linked the affair to the government’s refusal to set up a state commission of inquiry. Regev rejected responsibility; according to her, Shin Bet is responsible for Israeli flights and the Mossad for foreign airlines. DailyDrop has not seen the results of the investigation at this stage, so the motive, the planning and possible accomplices remain in the realm of reports only.