Israel Orders Security Review of Foreign Airlines Flying In After the Flydubai FZ1073 Cockpit Attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, October 4, 2026, ordered a review of the security arrangements for foreign airlines flying to Israel, four days after flydubai flight FZ1073 was attacked from inside its own cockpit. His office said he told National Security Council head Shmuel Ben Ezra to appoint an examiner for “a thorough review of all security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel.”

The wording comes from the prime minister’s office, as carried by Arab News from AFP.

What the Review Is, and Is Not

The Jerusalem Post reported that the examiner will have no direct authority to change policy. It is meant to present findings on the failures that allowed the attempted hijacking.

No deadline for the findings appeared in the coverage reviewed for this report. Until an examiner is named, what the review will look at in practice is unknown.

The Times of Israel reported that the Transportation Ministry has since issued a notice barring pilots and crew who hold citizenship of 27 countries from operating or boarding Israel-bound flights. That list includes Oman, the co-pilot’s country. We have not seen the notice itself, so treat the detail as that outlet’s reporting.

Who Is Responsible for Vetting Foreign Crews

The political fight is over that question. AFP reported that Transport Minister Miri Regev said oversight of foreign airline security belongs to the Mossad and the Shin Bet, while critics said her ministry bears direct responsibility.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the review a “sham investigation,” and Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett demanded Regev’s removal, according to the Times of Israel. Those are political claims, not findings.

In general, a state checks the airlines that serve its airports, while the pilot’s own airline and home regulator vet the individual. A crew member can therefore be cleared at home yet unknown to the destination country. The review’s real question is where that handoff failed here.

What We Know About FZ1073

The Dubai to Tel Aviv flight diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30. Israeli officials said the Omani co-pilot attacked the captain and tried to crash the jet, and the UAE attorney general later described an attempted terrorist act in which the co-pilot used a crash axe.

Our earlier reports cover the diversion and landing and the UAE statement on the crash axe. The cause and motive are still under investigation.

Reports differ on how many passengers were aboard: the Jerusalem Post cited 174, the Times of Israel roughly 180. Neither figure came from the airline in the sources reviewed.

For travellers, the practical effect so far is uncertainty. A review with no authority will not change screening by itself, so any new rules on crew nationality or approvals would have to come from the ministry or the security services.