Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a comprehensive review of security arrangements for foreign civilian flights to Israel, his office said in a statement on Sunday, following last week's attack aboard a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai aircraft.
Netanyahu instructed National Security Council chief Shmuel Ben-Ezra to appoint an examiner to assess all aspects of aviation security concerning foreign flights to Israel, the office said. Earlier on Sunday, Israel's Channel 12 reported that a preliminary Israeli investigation found that the co-pilot who attacked the captain of the flydubai flight acted alone.
flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in the Saudi city of Tabuk on Wednesday. The United Arab Emirates authorities said the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe during the flight before passengers and other crew members subdued him.
Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand probe flydubai co-pilot's time there.
Australian security agencies are investigating the Omani pilot's time in Australia around a decade ago, Australian Federal Police said.
The flydubai pilot is in custody in the United Arab Emirates after he allegedly attempted to take control of the Israel-bound plane.
A police statement on Monday said a joint counterterrorism team, including federal and state police and Australia's domestic intelligence agency, “is investigating the man's links to Australia”.
New Zealand's police agency also said the co-pilot had spent time in New Zealand and that the authorities would investigate.
News media have reported that he was granted an Australian student visa in 2014 and arrived in Australia to start a university course in 2015. He left Australia in 2017, and his visa was cancelled in 2019 after authorities confirmed he was no longer enrolled in the course, media reported.
(With inputs from Reuters and AP via PTI)