Questions grow over pilot security checks after flydubai attack

Questions are mounting about how aviation security works after a flydubai attack in which a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain of a Boeing 737 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Israel has particularly strict procedures for flights leaving Ben Gurion International Airport and for Israeli airlines, but rules for Israel-bound flights operated by foreign carriers from airports outside the country can differ, making oversight harder. The flight carried 174 passengers and eight crew, and after passengers intervened the injured captain regained control; the plane ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia with other crew members’ help. Saudi, Emirati and Israeli authorities are investigating, with assistance from the United States and Oman. Israeli officials said the co-pilot, identified as an Omani citizen, had applied to flydubai after searching for airlines that fly to Tel Aviv.