Terror scares at Israeli airport: Ethiopian flight turned away after Indonesian pilot discovered aboard, Delta plane searched after bomb threat

Following the near catastrophe of the attempted hijacking of a flydubai plane headed for Tel Aviv, Israel's security forces remain on high alert regarding any threat to the country's aviation.

Two incidents on Monday and Tuesday exemplified the high tensions surrounding Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport.

A Delta Air Lines aircraft that landed at the airport on Tuesday was moved to a remote area at the airport for security checks after an anonymous report claimed that a “suspicious” device was on board.

The passengers were quickly evacuated upon landing, but the Israel Airports Authority later said there were no “unusual findings.”

“The aircraft was thoroughly inspected by Ben Gurion Airport security personnel,” the IAA emphasized, “Operations have returned to normal.”

Just around 24 hours earlier, Israeli authorities ordered an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane bound for Israel to stay out of Israeli airspace early Monday after discovering that one of its pilots was an Indonesian national.

The incident again raised questions about Israel’s aviation security procedures after authorities reportedly received the flight manifest, including the crew’s identities, only after the aircraft had taken off from Addis Ababa.

Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and its leadership has repeatedly issued harshly critical statements about the Jewish state.

The incident reflects the new “take no chances” policy adopted by Israeli aviation authorities following the attempted hijacking of flydubai flight 1073 on Sept. 30. However, it also highlights potential gaps in the procedures governing how foreign airlines provide information about their crews before entering Israeli airspace.

Foreign airlines flying to and from Israel are required to submit crew names and nationalities before takeoff. In Monday’s case, however, the information was reportedly provided to Israel’s National Passenger Screening Center only after the aircraft was already airborne and en route to Ben Gurion International Airport.

The incident has added to an ongoing debate over responsibility for airline security. Under established procedures, the Transportation Ministry’s Security, Emergency and Cyber Division, operating through the Aviation Security Operations Center, is tasked with assessing potential risks associated with flights operated by foreign airlines to and from Israel.

However, the Transportation Ministry says it lacks the tools necessary to carry out that responsibility, particularly an independent intelligence agency that could conduct background checks on passengers and crew members.

As a result, the ministry relies on security assessments conducted by foreign authorities and the airlines themselves.

The attempted hijacking exposed serious flaws in this system, while Monday’s incident suggests that gaps remain even under the modified policies the Transportation Ministry has sought to implement.

Further consultations involving the National Security Council, the Transportation Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Israel Airports Authority, the Shin Bet security agency and police are reportedly underway, with additional reforms expected to emerge from the process.

However, critics have questioned whether the new procedures are economically sustainable and whether they would be effective in addressing security threats.

“Just look at all the anti-Israel demonstrations we’re seeing this week in London,” James M., a British citizen who has lived in Israel for five years while working for an international aid group, told ALL ISRAEL NEWS.

“I guarantee you that there are tens of thousands of British citizens, people who were born and lived their whole lives in the UK, who could easily be talked into doing something like what that Omani bloke did on the flydubai flight," he said.

"These days the passport carried by whoever is on a plane is no indication of what kind of threat they might pose. The whole world is going mad and you can’t be sure of anything anymore."