Shin Bet Warned Miri Regev Over Flight Security Flaws Before Hijacking Plot
The Shin Bet repeatedly warned Transportation Minister Miri Regev about flight security vulnerabilities on foreign-operated planes, but recommendations for oversight transfer were ignored.
Shin Bet Warned Miri Regev on Flight Security Flaws
Recent security incidents revealed that the Shin Bet issued warnings in three separate documents over recent months regarding severe vulnerabilities in security checks for foreign-operated flights utilized by Israeli airlines. However, the recommendation to transfer oversight to the Civil Aviation Authority was rejected by Minister of Transport Miri Regev.
The documents were submitted to Minister of Transport Miri Regev, the Ministry of Transport, and the National Security Council. They stated that the ministry failed to establish a risk-assessment mechanism for leasing companies and neglected its supervisory responsibilities.
The considerations behind the minister's decision were not substantive, a senior security official stated regarding Minister Miri Regev.
Vulnerabilities in Wet-Leased Flights
At the core of the Shin Bet warnings are wet-lease flights, where passengers purchase tickets from an Israeli airline, but the actual aircraft is operated by a foreign carrier with a foreign crew. The Shin Bet warned that these flights lack proper security vetting.
Investigations into a recent hijacking attempt involving a wet-lease flight indicate that the co-pilot meticulously planned an attack with the intention of crashing the aircraft on Israeli soil rather than en route.
