'Israel' received Flydubai crew list in advance, failed to flag Omani co-pilot

• ‘Israeli’ authorities reportedly received the full passenger and crew manifest for Flydubai Flight FZ1073 before the aircraft departed Dubai.
• The disclosure has raised questions over how the Omani co-pilot was cleared to operate the flight despite reports that he had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about extremist views.

‘Israeli’ authorities had access to the names of passengers and crew aboard the Flydubai flight whose Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to seize control of the aircraft, according to Haaretz and a separate report by The Jerusalem Post.

The aircraft, Flight FZ1073, was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a rapid descent.

According to Haaretz, the ‘Israeli’ Transportation Ministry's security department and Mossad are responsible for monitoring foreign flight crews arriving in ‘Israel’. Security sources cited by the newspaper, however, said the Transportation Ministry lacks intelligence capabilities and that responsibility for intelligence checks rests with agencies such as Mossad and Shin Bet.

The reports have exposed conflicting accounts within the ‘Israeli’ government over who was supposed to examine the flight manifest.

The ‘Israeli’ Tax Authority confirmed to Haaretz that it had received the passenger and crew list for the Flydubai flight. The authority's role stems from legislation approved by the Knesset in 2023 requiring airlines to provide passenger and crew information ahead of flights arriving in ‘Israel’.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev, however, told Kan 11 that her ministry did not receive the list. She said intelligence agencies were responsible for reviewing the information.

Under the 2023 legislation, airlines are required to provide passenger and crew data, including full names and nationalities, up to 48 hours before a flight. The information is then supposed to be distributed to relevant security bodies for examination.

Al-Hammami's Omani nationality would have appeared on the manifest. Reports have also raised questions over his previous employment history.

According to the Associated Press, al-Hammami had previously been removed from flying duties at Oman Air amid concerns over extremist views. The Wall Street Journal separately reported that he was hired by Flydubai despite those concerns, although it remains unclear what information the airline had when it employed him.

The UAE prosecutor general has described the incident as an attempted “terrorist attack.” Investigations involving authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and ‘Israel’ remain ongoing.

The revelations have prompted renewed scrutiny of ‘Israel’s’ system for screening foreign airline crews.

Yitzhak Raz, a former chief accident investigator at the Transportation Ministry and former head of the Civil Aviation Authority, told Haaretz that the Transportation Ministry should oversee the security screening of foreign airline personnel with assistance from intelligence agencies.

Raz also pointed to previous recommendations by the State Comptroller for a unified aviation-security authority bringing together the Transportation Ministry, Shin Bet, Mossad, the air force, National Security Council and Treasury.

The disclosure that the flight manifest was available before departure has intensified questions over whether the existing system failed to identify potential risks despite having access to the relevant information.