Flydubai hijacking attempt exposes worrying gaps in aviation security

All flight crew members require an “airside” pass, which allows them to go to the non-passenger side of airports and aircraft, according to aviation expert Alastair Rosenschein, who worked as a pilot in the United Kingdom for four decades.” The Ministry of Transport said that its procedures do not include checking the names of flight crew members, although those names are submitted to the Israel Tax Authority, which collects them in case of requests by security services.

Israel’s Tax Authority confirmed the names of all passengers and crew were in the hands of Israeli authorities before the flight had taken off, but it said questions about the vetting of crew members should be referred to the Ministry of Transport.