"Inspection systems and interrogations just before takeoff": Israelis returning from Abu Dhabi stunned
Israeli passengers returning from Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways flights report tightened security measures at the airport following the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai plane. According to passengers, inspection systems and questioning stations have been set up near the boarding gate, and each passenger is required to undergo a double security check and sometimes a thorough inspection.
Israeli passengers who returned in recent days from Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways flights report a change in security arrangements at Abu Dhabi airport, following the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai plane that was en route from Dubai to Israel. According to passengers, security authorities at the airport conduct a double security check for those flying to Israel: the first check at the regular screening that all departing passengers undergo, and the second near the boarding gate. At this station, passengers are questioned again by security personnel, similar to Shin Bet checks on Israeli flights, followed by an inspection for explosive materials in their belongings. Some passengers undergo a more thorough inspection. Passengers who have previously flown on the Abu Dhabi-Israel route say the checks conducted this week differ from those in the past. "Right before the boarding gate area, inspection systems and a questioning station were set up, and each passenger was required to undergo an additional security check, stricter than that undergone by other passengers at the airport," said one passenger who landed last night at Ben Gurion Airport.