New Delhi: India is examining the Flydubai mid-air attack involving Indian pilot Smit Machchhar from an aviation security perspective, with authorities likely to undertake a comprehensive review of existing safety and security protocols.
Civil Aviation Secretary Sameer Sinha said on Thursday that the government was assessing developments related to the incident and examining its security implications.
“India is examining the matter. The security perspective is being looked into,” Sinha said during a briefing. He added that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was monitoring the developments and would apprise higher authorities if any advisory was required.
Official sources said the review could cover standard operating procedures followed by airlines, including psychometric assessments of cockpit crew and the deployment of Sky Marshals on sensitive routes.
Authorities may also assess the preparedness and coordination of agencies involved in aviation security, including airlines, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the National Security Guard (NSG), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The exercise is expected to examine whether additional safeguards are required to address the possibility of an attack originating from within the cockpit.
The review follows Wednesday’s security scare aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. The Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar while the aircraft was airborne and reportedly attempted to crash the plane carrying more than 170 passengers.
The incident has prompted questions over whether existing aviation security measures adequately account for threats posed by cockpit crew members themselves.
