Jerusalem: Air France has barred Pakistani pilots and cabin crew from operating flights to and from Israel as Israeli authorities step up enforcement of restrictions on airline personnel holding citizenship of countries with which Israel does not maintain diplomatic relations, according to media reports.
US-based United Airlines and Czech carrier Smartwings have also taken steps to comply with the requirements, raising concerns over the potential impact of nationality-based restrictions on international airline operations and crew deployment across affected routes.
The stricter enforcement comes in the aftermath of an alleged cockpit attack by Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami aboard a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv September 30, 2026.
The co-pilot allegedly attacked Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchar in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft.
Oman is among the countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, placing its nationals within the category of people covered by the restrictions.
Reports published October 13 by French investigative outlet Mediapart and aviation intelligence company ch-aviation stated that Air France and United Airlines had informed their flight and cabin crew about the requirements.
The developments indicate that airlines are taking steps to ensure compliance with the rules while assigning personnel to flights serving Israel.
While Air France has confirmed that it is complying with the Israeli requirements, United Airlines has incorporated the restrictions into its crew-planning procedures to ensure that staff members covered by the rules are not assigned to the affected routes.
The consequences of the stricter enforcement became evident Tuesday, when Israeli authorities ordered an Ethiopian Airlines flight to turn back after discovering that an Indonesian pilot was on board.
According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, the aircraft had been airborne for about an hour and was still within Ethiopian airspace when the order was issued. The flight was subsequently directed to return to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, so that the pilot could be replaced.
After the crew change, the aircraft departed again for Israel and eventually landed in Tel Aviv, allowing the journey to be completed with a replacement pilot.
Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Indonesian nationals are among those covered by the restrictions imposed on foreign airline personnel operating flights to and from the country.
Ethiopian Airlines described the episode as a mistake, stating that it had not been aware that the pilot in question was prohibited from operating flights to Israel
According to reports by Mediapart and Israeli media outlets, the restrictions cover 31 Muslim-majority countries. These include Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Niger, among others.
The requirements apply to both pilots and cabin crew members who hold the nationality of the countries concerned. They also extend to individuals with dual citizenship, meaning that possessing another nationality does not necessarily exempt crew members from the restrictions.
Israeli broadcaster N12 reported that the country’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety notified foreign airlines about the requirements October 1, informing them of the rules governing the deployment of personnel on flights serving Israel
Although the restrictions were already in place before the September 30 flydubai incident, reports indicate that they had not previously been enforced as strictly.
Israeli authorities had largely relied on foreign airlines to ensure that crew members holding the nationalities covered by the restrictions were not assigned to flights operating to and from Israel.
