The referrals that preceded the Flydubai failure - and the information the Transportation Ministry "remembered" to demand after it
ynet reveals: The Transportation Ministry did not appoint a representative to the security database on air crews for three years, despite repeated requests from the Tax Authority. Only after a classified Knesset discussion following the attempted attack on a Flydubai flight did the ministry appoint a representative - and then discovered the system cannot provide data 48 hours in advance, but only close to takeoff. Meanwhile, Lahav 433 is investigating suspicions that senior ministry officials worked for foreign airlines, including Flydubai.
ynet reveals new details about the Flydubai failure: The Transportation Ministry did not appoint a representative to the National Center for Passenger Diagnosis (Malan) for three years, despite repeated requests from the Tax Authority that demanded it do so even before the attempted attack. Only after a classified discussion in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday this week, which dealt with the attempt by the Omani pilot-terrorist Mam al-Hamami to crash the Flydubai flight, did the Security Division of the Transportation Ministry request to connect to the system. After authorizing a representative, the ministry was informed that the system is technically incapable of producing nationality data of air crews 48 hours in advance as required by law, but only close to takeoff - a procedure previously set with the ministry's own approval. Meanwhile, Lahav 433 opened an investigation on suspicion that senior Transportation Ministry officials, including Security Division head Avraham Cohen and Operations Center manager Dvir Rubinstein, worked for foreign airlines including Flydubai. The investigation continues alongside investigations in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and New Zealand.