Air France has barred Pakistani pilots and cabin crew from flights to and from Israel as authorities tighten enforcement of nationality-based restrictions….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Air France has barred Pakistani pilots and cabin crew from operating flights to and from Israel as Israeli authorities tighten enforcement of restrictions on airline personnel holding citizenship of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel. United Airlines and Czech carrier Smartwings have also taken steps to comply with the requirements, according to media reports.
The stricter enforcement follows an alleged cockpit attack aboard a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026, when Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami 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 on 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.
Air France has confirmed that it is complying with the Israeli rules, while United Airlines has incorporated the restrictions into its crew-planning procedures to ensure that personnel covered by the requirements are not assigned to affected routes.
Also Read: ‘One Last Fight’: Captain Recalls Flydubai Cockpit Attack
The enforcement measures have also affected other international carriers operating flights to Israel.
On Tuesday, 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. It was directed to return to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, so that the pilot could be replaced.
Following the crew change, the aircraft departed again for Israel and eventually landed in Tel Aviv.
Ethiopian Airlines described the incident as a mistake, saying it had not been aware that the pilot was prohibited from operating flights to Israel.
Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Its nationals are among those affected by the restrictions on foreign airline personnel operating services to and from the country.
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 holding the nationalities concerned. They also extend to individuals with dual citizenship, meaning that holding 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 on October 1, outlining 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.
The stricter enforcement has raised concerns about the potential impact on international airline operations, particularly crew scheduling and the deployment of personnel across routes serving Israel.
