The incident involving a flydubai aircraft en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, in which the co-pilot attempted to nosedive into Saudi Arabia but was prevented by the pilot, will have an impact on the aviation industry far beyond the geographical limits of West Asia.
Coming less than a month after the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, the incident is likely to prompt tighter airport security and greater screening of passengers and crew worldwide, potentially requiring passengers to arrive even earlier than the three hours currently recommended in the Indian subcontinent.
It is also likely to prompt calls for psychological screening of cabin and cockpit crew after hiring. In July 2018, the European Commission adopted rules mandating pre-employment psychological assessments and confidential peer-support programmes, based on recommendations from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after the 2015 Germanwings crash, when a co-pilot locked the cockpit door and intentionally crashed the aircraft into the French Alps. The flydubai incident could renew calls to extend such measures to other jurisdictions.
It could also prompt airlines to revisit crew rostering. They may consider pairing pilots from different countries, such as the UK, India or Sri Lanka, on flights operating over West Asia. Pilots, however, feel that this would be a nightmare if implemented.
More attempts should be made to identify potential security risks among cockpit and cabin crew before they cause damage and loss of innocent lives.
A festering issue
It has been in discussion for decades. This writer remembers attending an International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting in the early 2000’s when a discussion about aviation security became very heated over what needed to be done. The chair, the head of an island nation's airline, had to intervene and put an end to the discussion by saying, “Do as we do in our country. Make it mandatory for every passenger and crew member to fly in swimwear so that when they land, they can hit the water straightaway. This way will also ensure that no object, which can cause harm to the flight, can possibly be taken onboard.” The hall erupted in laughter and applause.
The incident could have several immediate repercussions.
Now, all West Asian airline pilots and, for that matter, cabin crews could be screened and psychologically tested before they fly to the US, Europe, Israel and other Western countries such as Australia. Steel cutlery will disappear again as it did after 9/11, and there will be pressure on the International Civil Aviation Organization to convene a high-level meeting to urgently review global security at airports and aircraft. The mandate of the UN body is to support the safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable growth of international civil aviation.
The incident is likely to lead to Behaviour Detection Officers (BDO) being deployed at airports to monitor unusual behaviour patterns among flight crew, as well as passengers.
The incident will see security at airports around the world tightened, and greater screening of both passengers and crew, with passengers potentially asked to report to the airport even earlier than the three hours mandated in the Indian subcontinent.
Pilots say that while they understand the need for more checks and balances, implementing some of these rules will lead them to carry their fear of the person working with them, whether in the cabin or in the cockpit, and thereby make the job more stressful. They point to the irony, saying that all this is happening at a time when technology is making flying easier.