A month after the attempt to crash the Flydubai plane on its way to Israel, the Tax Authority is issuing new guidelines to airlines, requiring them to submit the details of pilots and crew members at least 48 hours before takeoff. The goal is to allow security authorities sufficient time to check the information and prepare accordingly, instead of receiving the data close to departure, when it is already too late to conduct a thorough check.
The guidelines were published following the September 30 attack attempt, in which the Omani copilot of Flydubai stabbed the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft, which was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to investigation findings published by the prosecution in the United Arab Emirates, he planned to crash the plane into the terminal at Ben-Gurion Airport and cause as high a body count as possible. The attempt was thwarted after passengers and crew members subdued him, and the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The incident exposed a severe problem in oversight of foreign crew members flying passengers to Israel, particularly regarding the question of who is responsible for checking their background and when information about them reaches security authorities. Following the incident, it was reported that although the PNR (Passenger Name Record) law has required data transmission 48 hours prior to flight since 2023, in practice, information regarding crew members was often received only close to takeoff.
New reporting rules require crew details 48 hours before takeoff
According to the updated guidelines from the National Passenger Data Diagnosis Center (PNR), operating under the Tax Authority, every airline will be required to submit a preliminary and complete list of crew members assigned to the flight no later than 48 hours before planned departure.
In the next stage, during check-in and no later than two hours before takeoff, the company will be required to transmit an updated list. If a pilot is replaced, a crew member added or removed from the list, or if a change occurs in the submitted details, the airline will have to re-report on all crew members and not just on the specific change made.
Even after that, the airline will be required to transmit a final, updated list at the time of actual takeoff, which will be absorbed into the system within 15 minutes at most.
The requirement applies to all airlines operating flights to and from Israel, not just foreign carriers. On codeshare flights, where one company sells the ticket and another actually operates the aircraft, responsibility for transmitting the information lies with the airline operating the flight.
The Tax Authority explains that advancing the report will grant bodies dealing with aviation security a longer preparation window than is standard globally, allowing them to enhance the security response.
Earlier reporting does not guarantee security checks
However, the new guidelines only address the information transmission stage. They do not establish a new security background check requirement for pilots and crew members, nor do they define who should perform it. Thus, even if lists arrive 48 hours in advance, the most crucial question remains: Who will check them, and what will be done with the information received?