A recent incident on a Dubai–Israel flight has revived scrutiny of how security duties for foreign carriers are divided among Israeli agencies, former officials told Ynet.
The incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which ended without casualties, has renewed debate over who is responsible for foreign airlines flying to Israel. A Ynet investigation says duties are split among several government bodies and that a single coordinating framework remains absent.
In 2024, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman issued a report on international civil aviation. The report remains classified, but Ynet says its main findings included serious security gaps, including for foreign carriers. The comptroller recommended that the National Security Council coordinate work with the Transport Ministry, airport authority, police and other agencies to develop a unified policy.
Dani Shinar, a former head of security at the Transport Ministry, told Ynet the recommendations had not been implemented and responsibilities were divided among seven bodies. Eyal Hulata, a former national security adviser, also criticised the lack of follow-up. These are assessments by former officials quoted in the report.
The Transport Ministry said it is not an intelligence agency and cannot independently conduct background checks on crew members and passengers. It said it relies on measures in departure countries, airlines’ written commitments and checks at overseas airports. Regarding FZ1073, the ministry said it had not received the crew list.
Authorities are examining the incident, but Ynet reported no decision to change the allocation of responsibilities at the time of publication. The episode has renewed questions about which body should be accountable for the overall security framework for foreign flights to Israel.