AP report: UAE had shared details about FlyDubai flight with Israel, including pilots' names and nationalities

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shared with Israel a list of passengers and crew for a FlyDubai flight on which a pilot attempted to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into Tel Aviv. Regional officials revealed this on Sunday, prompting questions about how the attacker managed to evade detection.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when an Omani co-pilot attacked the flight’s Indian captain with a cockpit crash ax, trying to take control of the plane. The Indian pilot managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker. The UAE-led investigation found that the co-pilot had been barred from flying by his home country due to extremist views.

However, the UAE shared details about the passengers and crew, including their nationalities, with Israel. No red flags were raised regarding any passenger or crew member by Israel. The passengers who halted the attack have been hailed as heroes, but questions are now being raised over security lapses that could have led to a major disaster.

The Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, stated that the Transportation Ministry is responsible for vetting passenger lists from foreign flights. The Transportation Minister, Miri Regev, said that security agencies are responsible for flight security, and her ministry was not given a list of passengers or any warnings. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel has agreements with foreign carriers to prevent pilots from flying into the country if they are citizens of nations without diplomatic relations with Israel.

The incident highlights the complexities and limitations of background check systems across different countries, particularly in cross-border checks.