Israel Bars Flight Crews From Non-Diplomatic Nations
Israel is prohibiting airline pilots and cabin crew from countries without diplomatic ties from entering its airspace following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight.
The Israel Ministry of Transportation has issued a directive barring foreign airline pilots and cabin crew from entering Israeli airspace if they hold citizenship or dual nationality in countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The measure places the responsibility on airlines to ensure crew compliance, affecting nationals from countries including Iran, Pakistan, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan.
These restrictions follow a September 30 incident on Flydubai Flight 1073. During that flight, Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked the captain in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into Ben-Gurion Airport. The flight was ultimately diverted to Saudi Arabia. In response to the event, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a security review of foreign civil aviation, instructing National Security Council chief Samuel Benezra to appoint an examiner for the process.
Major international carriers have already notified their staff of the new rules. United Airlines identified 29 affected countries, while Air France identified 31. An investigation by Mediapart revealed that Air France relayed these directives via an internal memo, sparking controversy over the discriminatory impact on dual nationals, such as those with French-Algerian or French-Tunisian citizenship.
