Residual concerns regarding the Flydubai aircraft incident continue to influence Israeli security assessments, with authorities expressing alarm over the potential exploitation of foreign flights bound for Israeli airports to carry out attacks. The primary apprehension centers on the difficulty of neutralizing threats originating from within the aircraft’s own operational systems.
Eli Tsur-Kohen, former head of the “Counter-Hostile Operations” division at the Mossad, stated that the incident involving the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv transcends a mere aviation anomaly. According to available intelligence, indicators suggest an attempt by the co-pilot to seize control of the aircraft and cause it to crash. Investigations are currently examining potential motives, including efforts to damage relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and undermine normalization agreements.
In an article published by Channel 12, Tsur-Kohen described one of the most severe security scenarios: an individual inside the aircraft possessing full authority to access its most sensitive components, using these privileges to execute hostile acts. He emphasized that the consequences extend beyond immediate casualties, potentially targeting high-ranking figures, Israeli missions abroad, or passenger planes linked to Israelis, resulting in broad psychological, political, and economic repercussions.
Tsur-Kohen noted that the nationality of the airline or crew is not a decisive factor for entities seeking to target Israel. A fully foreign plane may carry numerous Israeli passengers, making international flights a complex security challenge. Most security systems are designed to thwart external breaches, whereas internal threats are harder to manage when the perpetrator is part of the aircraft system, such as pilots or maintenance workers, who have legitimate access.
He argued that professional access to sensitive areas, combined with knowledge of vulnerabilities, poses additional challenges. The Omani co-pilot’s background and the lack of diplomatic ties between Oman and Israel do not automatically justify excluding him from suspicion. Drawing parallels to the September 11 attacks and the October 2015 Metrojet crash in Sinai, which killed 224 people, he highlighted the need for early intelligence to protect against threats that physical security measures cannot prevent.
Tsur-Kohen called for intensified intelligence efforts to monitor recruitment, funding, and infiltration attempts into airlines or airport systems, particularly on routes with heavy Israeli presence. He urged stricter security procedures for flights to Israel, including enhanced passenger and baggage checks, and re-verification of backgrounds for staff handling aircraft directly, especially pilots. He recommended continuous security screenings rather than relying solely on initial hiring checks, suggesting the use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence to detect unusual relationships or behavioral changes.
Regarding foreign airlines carrying many Israelis, he advocated for stricter security protocols due to their high-risk status, acknowledging that while measures reduce risk, they cannot eliminate it entirely. He warned that the incident’s fallout could impact economic and political relations with the UAE, as reduced Israeli travel might lead airlines to cut flights and erode public confidence. Such outcomes could benefit those seeking to undermine normalization agreements, even without further crashes, noting that Flydubai had continued operations during wartime when other carriers suspended services, facilitating the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis.
