Air France restricts Pakistani crew from Israel flight routes

Air France has prohibited Pakistani pilots and cabin crew from operating flights on routes to and from Israel. The airline is implementing measures to ensure that crew members from countries lacking formal diplomatic relations with Israel are not deployed on these specific routes.

This shift follows a security incident on September 30, 2026, involving a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. During that flight, an Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to seize control of the aircraft and attacked the Indian captain. Because Oman does not have official diplomatic ties with Israel, the incident has prompted increased scrutiny regarding crew nationality.

Other major carriers, including United Airlines and the Czech airline Smartwings, are reportedly adopting similar protocols. The impact of these restrictions was observed recently when Israeli authorities ordered an Ethiopian Airlines flight to return after discovering an Indonesian pilot was on board. United Airlines has integrated these nationality-based requirements into its crew management systems to prevent similar occurrences.