Aviation safety and security experts have urged civil aviation authorities to strengthen measures against insider threats following last week’s alleged attempt by a co-pilot to hijack a FlyDubai aircraft.

The experts, in separate interviews with The Guardian yesterday, warned that aviation security must move beyond passenger screening to focus more closely on safety-critical personnel.

They said the incident exposed vulnerabilities within the aviation security system, particularly the risks posed by trusted personnel with legitimate access to aircraft, restricted areas and safety equipment.

The experts called for more frequent background checks, psychological assessments and intelligence-sharing mechanisms for pilots, cabin crew, engineers, ground handlers and other personnel whose duties have direct implications for aviation safety and security.

The former Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Samuel Caulcrick, said the aviation ecosystem was fundamentally built on trust, but warned that the system could be compromised when that trust was abused.

Caulcrick said the FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 incident had underscored the need for the industry to re-examine its approach to insider threats.

He identified operational trust, systemic trust and regulatory surveillance as major pillars supporting aviation safety.

He said: “Pilots step into the cockpit trusting that engineers have released a perfectly airworthy machine, handlers have loaded cargo correctly and fuelers have provided the right grade and amount of fuel.

“Trust is not left to chance. It is maintained through continuous surveillance, unannounced audits, mandatory safety reporting and strict licensing. This is why aviation relies on a ‘Just Culture’ that encourages transparent error reporting.”

According to him, the FlyDubai incident demonstrated the vulnerability inherent in a system where a trusted professional could potentially turn against it.

Caulcrick said the incident also raised fundamental questions about the effectiveness of existing aviation security measures, including reinforced cockpit doors, access control and the monitoring of safety-critical personnel.

He noted that the FlyDubai incident, alongside the 2015 Germanwings crash, demonstrated that security measures designed to keep outsiders out could create vulnerabilities when the threat came from within the cockpit.

Similarly, the Director of Research, Zenith Travels Limited, Olumide Ohunayo, described insider threats as a global security challenge affecting not only aviation but the wider security and safety ecosystem.

Ohunayo said insiders would always seek ways to exploit weaknesses in existing systems, making it necessary for authorities to continually review security arrangements based on practical experience.

He warned that the challenge could be more significant in Nigeria because of weaknesses in citizen data management and inadequate coordination among security and regulatory agencies.

He advocated greater deployment of advanced technology to strengthen the identification and monitoring of potential insider threats.

Ohunayo also called for greater emphasis on psychological fitness alongside traditional medical assessments of aviation personnel.

He urged security agencies and aviation stakeholders to improve intelligence sharing and coordination, particularly in the screening and monitoring of personnel working in security, ground handling and other technical areas.

He said personnel in sensitive areas should undergo mandatory screening, with appropriate mechanisms established to identify and investigate signs of psychological or behavioural concerns.

Ohunayo also called for greater involvement of cabin crew in Crew Resource Management (CRM), stressing that responsibility for managing abnormal situations should not rest exclusively with flight crew.

“Nigeria cannot be different. It is even a bigger threat in Nigeria. And unfortunately, we don’t have enough data on the citizenry and there is a lack of coordination among the agencies. The agencies are working in silos,” he said.

The incident occurred on September 30 aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with the aircraft’s emergency crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft.

The aircraft, carrying about 174 passengers, lost altitude before diverting to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.