Authorities in the United Arab Emirates shared information about the passengers and crew of the FlyDubai flight that was targeted in last week’s attempted hijacking with Israeli authorities before the aircraft departed, regional officials said Sunday.
PBS reports that the information included the names and nationalities of passengers and crew members, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly.
No passenger or crew member was flagged by Israel before the flight, raising questions about how the Omani co-pilot accused of trying to seize control of the aircraft was able to operate the Israel-bound flight.
The ISA said the Transportation Ministry is responsible for vetting passenger lists from foreign flights. Transportation Minister Miri Regev, however, said her ministry had not received a passenger list or any warning about the flight and that responsibility for aviation security rests with the country's security agencies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel has longstanding arrangements with foreign airlines restricting pilots from flying into the country if they are citizens of countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
The case has also raised questions over how FlyDubai allowed an Omani citizen to serve as a pilot on a flight carrying Israeli passengers to Tel Aviv, given that Oman and Israel do not have diplomatic relations. Aviation security experts have cautioned that international background checks can be difficult because countries have different systems and restrictions on sharing sensitive information.
The investigation is continuing, with authorities in several countries examining the attack and the circumstances that allowed the co-pilot to board the flight and operate as a member of its crew.