Flydubai Hijack: Why Aviation Safety Rules Are Under Scrutiny, How was Omani Pilot Flying to Israel Despite Ban?

The Flydubai FZ1073 incident has spotlighted aviation security measures under scrutiny after a Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the Indian captain pilot during a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight on September 30. The Boeing 737 Max 8, carrying 174 people, diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely after passengers and crew helped owerpower the attacker and additional pilots on board took control.

What happened on Flydubai flight?

The aircraft suddenly lost altitude during the incident. Flight-tracking data featured a sharp descent of nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. The aircraft transmitted an emergency code before later sending the code linked with unlawful interference. Passengers and crew entered the cockpit and overpowered the co-pilot.

Flydubai has said the motive remains unclear and is subject to official investigation. Israeli officials have regarded the incident as an attempted terror attack.

What do emergency codes 7700 and 7500 mean?

Aircraft use transponder codes to communicate emergencies to air traffic controllers. 7700 signals a general emergency, while 7600 indicates radio communication failure. Code 7500 signals unlawful interference.

Flight FZ1073 reportedly transmitted 7700 before switching to 7500. It alerts air-traffic authorities and can lead to security responses.

Aviation Safety Rules: Why are cockpit doors locked?

Cockpit security rules were bolstered after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Reinforced cockpit doors were launched to resist forced entry and remain locked during flight, with authorised entry controlled from inside.

International standards necessitate passenger aircraft to have reinforced flight-deck doors. Cabin crew can gain access through an electronic system.

However, the Flydubai case uncovers a different security challenge: what happens when the threat is already inside the cockpit?

The 2015 Germanwings crash demonstrated the danger of a pilot deliberately preventing another pilot from entering the flight deck. The incident trigerrred changes in crew procedures and afresh attention to cockpit access.

Two-People Crew Rule in Cockpit 

A key issue is that aviation procedures generally require two pilots to be present in the flight deck, partly to ensure that one can take over if the other becomes incapacitated. In the Flydubai incident, however, the threat came from inside the cockpit. After the captain was attacked, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter. Two off-duty pilots travelling as passengers then helped take control of the aircraft, according to reports. This has raised questions over whether existing locked-cockpit systems, designed primarily to prevent outsiders from entering, provide sufficient options when the threat comes from a crew member already inside. Aviation-security experts have noted that such doors can become a barrier to rescuers in an internal cockpit emergency.

Aircraft Crash Axe Rule

Initial reports suggested that the captain may have been attacked with a knife, but subsequent reporting has pointed to the aircraft's emergency crash axe as the possible weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also referred to a crash axe. Such axes are required emergency equipment on commercial aircraft and are kept accessible to flight crew. However, the exact weapon has not been conclusively established publicly, with conflicting reports still describing a knife or crash axe.

How was an Omani pilot flying to Israel despite the ban?

A pressing security question is regarding the co-pilot’s reported Omani citizenship. An Israeli Channel 12 reported that dozens of Omani pilots had flown to Tel Aviv on Flydubai flights despite a limitation concerning pilots from countries that do not formally recognise Israel.

Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The report said Israeli security authorities had historically relied on airlines to enforce the restriction instead of separately checking every pilot’s nationality and background. Authorities are now reviewing whether the pilot’s Omani citizenship was known.

What could change after the incident?

Israel has indicated that it intends to tighten measures on pilots flying into the country. Investigators are slated to review pilot vetting, cockpit access, weapons, emergency procedures and coordination between airlines, regulators and security agencies.