The head of Israel’s security agency had raised security concerns about flights from the UAE for months before a pilot attempted to hijack a Flydubai passenger plane travelling to Tel Aviv, according to a report.
David Zini, the director of Israel’s Shin Bet, had reportedly clashed with Israeli airlines over restrictions on flights to the UAE, with the agency reasoning that security measures at Emirati airports were insufficient, according to Israel’s N12 News.
Israeli authorities were concerned with possible missile attacks or attacks at an airport, the outlet reported on Thursday. A scenario like Wednesday’s hijacking attempt was “not raised in any discussion”, they said.
Aviation officials also told i24NEWS early last week that Israeli airlines had been ordered to suspend their flights to the Emirates until at least October 31 amid a row over security checks in Emirati airports.
Shin Bet had been seeking additional screening equipment at check-in counters used by Israeli airlines in the UAE, but the Emirati authorities were initially opposed, the outlet reported.
The Israeli government was contacted for comment.
There were already restrictions on El Al, Israir and Arkia flying to the UAE as they did not have the necessary security clearances, N12 reported.
El Al announced on 24 September it was suspending flights on the Dubai route until 30 November in accordance with received security guidance. Israir and Arkia customers also apparently received cancellation notices.
But that ban did not apply to foreign airlines, meaning Flydubai could continue to operate 10 daily flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai.
Following Wednesday’s mid-air drama, Israel suspended Flydubai’s flights to the country for six days. N12 reported that the Emirates had subsequently agreed to install additional screening machines.
Arkia said on Thursday that it would restart operations with two daily direct flights on the Tel Aviv-Dubai flight subject to obtaining approvals from state and security authorities, the Times of Israel reports.
And El Al announced it was preparing to resume its route in November, eight months after Israeli companies were banned from operating on the route.
Shin Bet agents were en route to Dubai on Thursday morning in preparation for the repatriation of Israeli passengers stranded in the UAE following the hijacking attempt on board flight FZ1073.
Israel will be now be organising the return flights for passengers who had been booked onto non-Israeli airlines, the Times of Israel reported.
Several unnamed sources told the Jerusalem Post that Shin Bet, Mossad, the IDF and the Transportation Ministry believe the hijacker was a lone wolf, not following instructions from Iran or a terror organisation.
A joint Israeli security team was reportedly investigating whether the pilot was not properly searched for weapons before boarding the plane. Israeli officials said the attacker's motive remained under investigation.
Flydubai said in a statement that the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against “premature speculation”.
An Israeli official identified the co-pilot as an Omani national. There was no immediate comment from Oman.
Al Jazeera reported that it was air traffic controllers in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, who picked up the distress call from FZ1073 asking for an emergency landing at 8.44am local time on Wednesday. The plane landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk around an hour later.
A person who heard the flight communications with ATC told the Associated Press that the plane was initially turned away by Saudi Arabia and Jordan before it eventually landed in Tabuk.
The person who heard the message spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE on Sunday and met with the country’s president, Mohamed bin Zayed. Three senior Israeli officials told Reuters the meeting lasted six hours and focused on Iran.
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