Aviation has repeatedly been a target of Islamist terrorists in the Middle East. All 19 al-Qaeda terrorists behind September 11 came from Middle Eastern countries. Lebanese terrorists linked to Hezbollah hijacked TWA Flight 847 in 1985, while a Saudi Air Force officer carried out the 2019 jihadist terror attack at the US Naval Air Station in Pensacola. Now, an Islamist Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain of flight FZ1073 towards Tel Aviv and tried to destroy the plane. When a radicalized person is a pilot, he doesn't need to break into the cockpit. He already trusts the control of the plane. Airlines must strengthen security vetting of pilots, especially those working on routes to potentially sensitive destinations. More in-depth background checks are needed for extremist affiliations, indicators of radicalization and other terrorism-related risks.

Aviation has repeatedly been a target of Islamist terrorists in the Middle East. All 19 al-Qaeda terrorists behind September 11 came from Middle Eastern countries. Lebanese terrorists linked to Hezbollah hijacked TWA Flight 847 in 1985, while a Saudi Air Force officer carried out the 2019 jihadist terror attack at the US Naval Air Station in Pensacola. Now, an Islamist Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain of flight FZ1073 towards Tel Aviv and tried to destroy the plane. When a radicalized person is a pilot, he doesn't need to break into the cockpit. He already trusts the control of the plane. Airlines must strengthen security vetting of pilots, especially those working on routes to potentially sensitive destinations. More in-depth background checks are needed for extremist affiliations, indicators of radicalization and other terrorism-related risks.