Terror attack on FlyDubai flight: new scandalous details about the Ministry of Transport

An investigation by journalist Itai Blumenthal reveals that Dvir Rubinstein, head of the operational center for aviation security at the Ministry of Transport, used his private firm Smart Security to train foreign airlines, including FlyDubai and Emirates, on bypassing mandatory security checks. The publication coincides with the investigation into an attempted terror attack on flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026.

Israel's Ministry of Transport is at the center of a corruption scandal. According to an investigation by journalist Itai Blumenthal, Dvir Rubinstein, head of the ministry's operational center for aviation security, has been monetizing his official position for years through a private entity called Smart Security, registered in October 2024. The official's clients included major Middle Eastern carriers such as FlyDubai and Emirates. The civil servant, responsible for overseeing the security of foreign flights, commercially trained companies to bypass screening standards. Under current regulations, foreign operators are required to use the services of the Israeli company Premier, with comprehensive screening costing about $5,000 per flight. Completing paid training with Rubinstein granted the right to official exemption and self-conducted checks. Clients paid $15,000 for the program and about $5,500 in travel expenses, inviting the official abroad through his firm. The investigation's urgency is heightened by its context: the publication came amid an investigation into an attempted terror attack on a FlyDubai aircraft (flight FZ1073) carried out on September 30, 2026, by co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami. Security officials stated that responsibility for the pilot's clearance lay with the center headed by Rubinstein.