Transport Ministry publishes guidelines for foreign airlines arriving in Israel

Israel's Transport Ministry has issued new guidelines for foreign airlines, requiring them to check the citizenship of crew members on every flight to Israel or passing through its airspace. The guidelines took effect immediately, with responsibility for the checks falling on the foreign airline. The background: an Omani pilot served as a co-pilot on a Flydubai flight to Israel, and senior security officials accused the Transport Ministry's Security Division of negligent conduct.

The Aviation Security Operations Center at the Transport Ministry today (Thursday) published a series of new guidelines for foreign airlines, requiring them to conduct citizenship checks on crew members for every flight to Israel or passing through its airspace. The guidelines took effect immediately, and the responsibility for checking crew members falls on the foreign airline. The Defense Ministry has not yet found a way to verify the identity of crew members on commercial flights and is considering a demand to issue visas for crew members expected to arrive in Israel for 24 hours, which is not relevant for transit flights. The new guidelines come following a report on Sunday that senior security officials accused the Transport Ministry's Security Division of negligent conduct that allowed the Omani pilot, Ma'atham Al-Hamami, to serve as a co-pilot on a Flydubai flight to Israel. "The responsibility lies entirely with the Aviation Security Operations Center. They were supposed to fulfill their responsibility. Any reasonable person understands that an Omani pilot should not come here," senior security officials said. The Shin Bet is responsible for securing Israeli airlines, while charter flights on behalf of Israeli or foreign companies are under the full responsibility of the Transport Ministry. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the appointment of an examiner to review the procedures for foreign flights to Israel, a review that will take place at the National Security Council – a staff work recommended as early as 2024.