Netanyahu orders security review of international flights to Israel after Flydubai incident

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ordered a security review of international flights to Israel after a co-pilot allegedly attempted to crash an Israel-bound flight from Dubai.

Netanyahu "has instructed the Head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, to appoint an examiner to conduct a thorough review of all security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel", a statement from his office said.

The Israel-bound Flydubai flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on 30 September after its Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to crash the plane, which was carrying 180 passengers, most of them Israeli.

Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was examining whether anyone had directed the co-pilot, vowing a "heavy price" for those involved.

A source close to the UAE government accused the Israeli government of exploiting the incident for political purposes, Israeli media reported on Saturday.