Exclusive | Mike Huckabee calls flydubai near disaster a 9/11 situation says airlines must take closer look at crew members social media history
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expects airlines will implement enhanced screenings of pilots and flight attendants in response to the flydubai hijacking, which he described as “a 9/11 situation” in the latest episode of “Pod Force One.” “The question I think will be a tough one for everyone to answer: How did this guy get hired?” Huckabee said of the flydubai co-pilot accused of using an axe to hack the captain in an attempted plane hijacking during a flight bound for Israel last month. “Now maybe they were just desperate for pilots, and they looked the other way at some of his background, or maybe they didn’t check.But the answer to your question: Does this change the security methods? Oh boy, does it ever!” the former Arkansas governor told “Pod Force One” host Miranda Devine. The co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, reportedly had an obsession with crashing a passenger jet on Israeli soil and researched potential attacks for months before his failed attempt – which was foiled when the injured captain, Smit Machchhar, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to rush in, subdue the madman and regain control of the plummeting plane. Huckabee suggested the enhanced precautions may be implemented globally. “Not just for pilots flying into Israel, but I think every airline now is going to be looking at social media accounts.
They’re going to be really wanting to know: Is there any red flag here?” he said. “Flight attendants, same thing,” the diplomat continued, “because if you have a flight attendant, a flight attendant could wreak havoc.They have access to the cockpit.” “This was just one of those amazing things,” he said of the foiled terrorist attack.
“And we don’t know absolutely confirmed, but he has told some of the investigators that his goal was to fly it into the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. “That would have been catastrophic.” Every week, Post columnist Miranda Devine si...