Did Israel ignore warnings? UAE shared info about flydubai crew & Omani co-pilot
Reports indicate that the UAE shared information about a FlyDubai flight crew with Israel prior to an attempted cockpit attack by an Omani co-pilot. The incident has triggered a security investigation into why the co-pilot was permitted to fly despite previous extremist concerns.
Why it matters
The incident highlights potential lapses in international aviation security and intelligence sharing between Middle Eastern nations.
The United Arab Emirates had shared with Israel information on the passengers and crew aboard the FlyDubai flight whose Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and tried to seize control of the aircraft, according to regional officials cited by The Associated Press. The disclosure has raised fresh questions over how the co-pilot was able to board an Israel-bound flight despite having previously been barred from flying by Oman over concerns about his extremist views.The UAE, which is leading the investigation, has described Wednesday's incident as a “terrorist attack”. The co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit's crash axe before attempting to take control of the plunging aircraft.
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