Days after the Flydubai incident scare, Israelis could reportedly lose their visa-free access to the US due to security lapses that have been revealed after the terror attack on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last week.
A US delegation will come to Israel in the coming days to review local authorities' compliance with the security requirements of the US Visa Waiver Program, according to The Times of Israel, citing Channel 12. Currently, the delegation is in the United Arab Emirates, where it is examining aviation security procedures.
This comes after the September 30 scare on the Dubai flight, where an Omani copilot identified as Hamam al-Hammami reportedly attacked the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, and tried to crash the plane. About 180 people were on board, and most were Israelis. The passengers were saved after the captain and several Israeli passengers stopped the attack and overpowered the copilot.
What is US Visa Waiver Program?
Israel joined the US Visa Waiver Program in 2023, which lets Israeli citizens travel to the US using an online travel system called Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) instead of waiting through the long regular visa process. The upcoming visit will check if Israel still follows the rules it agreed to when it joined.
Meanwhile, nearly a week after the incident, Channel 13 reported on Tuesday that Flydubai had seeked permission to restart flights to Israel. The airline reportedly said its investigation was nearing completion and that several employees had been dismissed.
Officials from Israel's Transportation Ministry have also reportedly been invited to visit Dubai next week. However, Transportation Minister Miri Regev has declined Flydubai's request to resume operations.
So far, 7,415 passengers have returned to Israel from Dubai on special flights operated by Israeli carriers, as well as from Abu Dhabi on commercial Etihad Airways flights.