Israeli media reported on October 6 on a figure from a closed discussion in a Knesset subcommittee: about 1,240 aircrew from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel entered in the past year, among them citizens of Syria, Lebanon and Oman. Channel 12 reported that a US delegation will examine Israel’s compliance with the visa waiver requirements, including the receipt of information on passengers and crews. The Times of Israel also reported that fighter jets were launched and called back when the plane turned toward Saudi Arabia. The figure and the details were not published officially.
The scale presented raises a question about broad oversight of foreign aircrews, beyond a single affair, and about possible consequences for Israelis’ travel to the US.
Anyone planning a flight to the US should keep watch: if the waiver changes, a visa may be required in advance. For now there is no official change.
The government announced a comprehensive review and new guidelines, and the task is to close gaps before they harm passengers.
The number points to a systemic problem rather than an isolated case, and Knesset members are demanding an independent review.
Two things are worth watching: whether the figure will be published officially, and what the Americans will demand. Until then, the report on the waiver is an examination only, not a decision.
Times of Israel, ynet, Haaretz, All Israel News, JFeed (October 6, 2026)
Report: about 1,240 aircrew from countries with no relations with Israel entered the country in the past year
The figure was presented in a closed discussion in a Knesset subcommittee after the flydubai affair. At the same time, it was reported that a US delegation will examine Israelis’ visa waiver for the United States.
Israeli media reported on Tuesday, citing a closed discussion in a Knesset subcommittee, that about 1,240 aircrew members of foreign airlines, among them pilots and co-pilots from Syria, Lebanon and Oman, entered Israel over the past year. The report appeared in the Times of Israel, ynet, Haaretz, All Israel News and JFeed. The figure was not published officially, so it is presented here as a report only.
Channel 12 reported, as carried in the Times of Israel, that a US delegation will arrive in the coming days to check whether Israel meets the security requirements of the visa waiver program, which Israel joined in 2023. One of the requirements is that Israel receive and check information on passengers and aircrew entering the country. The US State Department said it does not comment in advance on possible steps.
The Times of Israel also reported, citing a report that was not officially confirmed, that the Air Force launched fighter jets during the affair and closed the airspace, and that they were called back when it became clear the plane was heading for Saudi Arabia. DailyDrop has seen no official confirmation of these details, and they remain reports.