The UAE, as part of leading the investigation into the attempted hijacking on board Flydubai’s FZ1073, has admitted that pilots’ licenses and security passes were usually handled at the national level.

Yet, the alleged hijacker of the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv managed to gain entry into the UAE, which raises questions on the ‘strict security protocols’ in force. The suspect was removed from his previous job at Oman’s national airline for his extremist views.

Aviation experts said that the responsibility of vetting pilots rested with airlines, security services and the local governments, which varied from one country to the other.

Investigations reveal that the suspect, co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, wanted to target Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. His intentions of attacking captain Smit Machchhar, who was piloting the plane at the time of the incident above Saudi airspace, are still unclear, though it is believed the suspect ‘acted alone’.

Earlier, the attorney general of the UAE, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, had called the attempted hijacking a ‘terrorist act’.

While confirming that the names of all passengers and crew were in the hands of Israeli authorities, Israel’s Tax Authority said questions about the vetting of crew members should be referred to the Ministry of Transport.

In response, the Ministry of Transport has clarified that its procedures do not include checking the names of flight crew members. – Image credit: wikipedia – editor@nrifocus.com