Israel orders airlines to submit crew lists 48 hours preflight
After a recent hijacking scare on a flydubai flight, Israel is stepping up its airline security game.
Now, all airlines flying to Israel, whether local or international, have to send in their crew lists 48 hours before takeoff so background checks can be done in advance.
Copilot allegedly attacked captain midflight
This move follows an incident on September 30, when a copilot allegedly attacked the captain midflight to Tel Aviv. Thanks to quick-thinking off-duty pilots, the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
It later came out that the copilot had previously been grounded by Oman Air after extremist material was found in his possession, highlighting some serious gaps in crew screening.
Now, non-Israeli crews and passengers also have to fill out an online form before entering Israel, with extra checks for people arriving from countries designated as red and additional scrutiny of entry forms and visa applications by the Mossad and Shin Bet.