Regev orders flydubai flights to Israel halted over hijacking pilot's Omani background, sources say

Transportation Minister Miri Regev on Wednesday has requested that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) halt all flights by the airline flydubai entering and exiting the country following the suspected attempted hijacking of a commercial passenger aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, a source within the ministry confirmed to The Jerusalem Post.

According to the source, Regev’s decision was made after unverified reports indicating that the pilot suspected of hijacking the plane may have been of Omani origin.

Flydubai’s agreement to operate in Israel explicitly states that all pilots must be from countries that have normalized relations with Israel, which does not include Oman.

“This is a clear breach of the agreement,” the source stated, “and the Shin Bet must look into this.”