Netanyahu ordered to check pilots of foreign airlines

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a thorough inspection of all aspects of the civil aviation safety of foreign companies operating flights to the country. The corresponding instruction to the head of the National Security Council Shmuel Ben-Ezra was given by the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday.

The decision was made after an incident on board a Flydubai airline plane en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The plane landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a distress call. It turned out that there was a fight between the crew members during the flight.

According to the UAE Prosecutor General’s Office, the co-pilot attacked the commander of the aircraft using a regular emergency axe and tried to seize control. Passengers confirmed that one of the pilots injured a colleague and intended to cause a disaster. Israeli authorities described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.

Israeli media reported that the emergency revealed gaps in the oversight of flight safety. The appointment of a special inspector is also intended to resolve interagency disputes over which structure should be responsible for monitoring foreign carriers.