AeroTime
• Ian Molyneaux
Israeli security services evacuated passengers from a Delta Air Lines A330-900neo at Ben Gurion Airport on Oct. 13 after an anonymous threat claimed explosives were onboard. Authorities isolated the aircraft and conducted a security inspection; reports said no credible threat was found.
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IAI and SIG Sauer say their FIRE STORM 250 quadcopter has completed a live-fire test, identifying and engaging targets from the air with an M250 light machine gun mounted on a MICROLIGHT weapon station. The aircraft is reported to fly for up to three hours carrying 200 rounds; a human operator authorizes every shot.
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Israeli security services evacuated passengers from a Delta Air Lines A330-900neo at Ben Gurion Airport on Oct. 13 after an anonymous threat claimed explosives were onboard. Authorities isolated the aircraft and conducted a security inspection; reports said no credible threat was found.
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Israel’s new rules barring some dual nationals from serving on flights to or over the country have already forced an Ethiopian Airlines cargo 737 to turn back after an Indonesian pilot was found on its crew list. The restrictions follow a separate Flydubai cockpit attack that UAE authorities say was intended to end in a crash at Tel Aviv airport.
Israel has barred foreign pilots and flight attendants who also hold citizenship in any of 31 countries, citing a thwarted terror attack. The restriction affects international airline staffing and operations, though the available report provides no details on the countries covered, the attack or the ban’s duration.
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The UAE says Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, a Flydubai co-pilot, tried to seize a flight bound for Israel and intended to crash it into Ben Gurion Airport, causing mass casualties. Prosecutors said he had taken two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to study the route and airport; the pilot was stabbed during the cockpit attack.
Red Wings says its crew-training system fully complies with Israel’s new requirements and that it will continue operating flights to the country at full capacity. Separately, Israir plans to wet lease Boeing 737-8 capacity in mid-fourth quarter 2026, according to a subscription-only report.
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A flydubai 737 MAX bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv survived an apparent cockpit attack after the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and the aircraft entered an extreme descent. A passenger says he helped take control; the UAE has opened a formal judicial investigation, while the aircraft sustained major rudder damage.
Arkia is adding an Airbus A330-300 through a wet lease for New York operations, while Israir begins its own flights on the route. The moves intensify competition among Israel’s three main carriers for service between Tel Aviv and a major U.S. gateway.
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