Israel has revealed the name of the IDF's emergency protocol for a civilian aircraft hijacking: Code Global Trade. The procedure was activated during the attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai passenger plane on September 30.
Four F-16 fighter jets armed with air-to-air missiles were scrambled over Israel after FlyDubai flight FZ1073, en route from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, transmitted a distress signal. For several tense minutes, the Israeli Air Force prepared for the worst-case scenario: receiving an order to shoot down the passenger plane if it emerged that the hijacker intended to crash it into a populated area.
The name of the military protocol, which was written in the wake of 9/11, was cleared for publication by Israeli military censors.
The Israeli protocol addresses situations in which a civilian aircraft is turned from a means of transportation into a weapon against civilians. It includes procedures for scrambling fighter jets to escort the aircraft, attempting to establish contact with its crew, and, in the most extreme circumstances, intercepting and shooting it down while it is still airborne.
The four F-16s took up holding positions over Israel, ready to respond if ordered to act against the passenger aircraft. The preparations included the possibility of shooting down a plane carrying passengers and crew to prevent a potentially catastrophic attack on the ground.
The Israeli Air Force continuously monitors aircraft entering and leaving Israeli airspace and maintains contact with air traffic control towers in the region. Its assessments also incorporate intelligence information, including material provided by the Mossad and other intelligence agencies. If an aircraft is confirmed to have been hijacked and there is a danger that it will be deliberately crashed into a populated area, fighter pilots may be ordered to intercept it.