Air France Bars Pakistani Pilots From Israel-Bound Flights Amid Aviation Concerns

14th October 2026 at 4:36 PM

2 minutes read

Paris : Air France has banned Pakistani pilots and crew members from operating flights to and from Israel, after the Jewish nation reinforced restrictions for airline crew from countries that don’t have diplomatic relations with it. Following the Air France ban on airline crew from 31 nations, including Pakistan, Chicago-based United Airlines has informed their pilots and cabin crew about nationality-based rules for flights to and from Israel.

According to October 13 reports of French investigative publication Mediapart, and aviation intelligence company ch-aviation, both airlines have informed flight and cabin crew about the restrictions imposed by Israel. While Air France has confirmed that it is complying with the requirements, United Airlines has reportedly incorporated them into its crew-planning procedures. The largest Czech airline, Smartwings, has also confirmed it will comply with Israel’s restrictions, although it said its crew assignments and operations have not been affected so far.

The internal scheduling memo of United Airlines, lists 29 countries whose nationals might be barred from working on its flights to and from Tel Aviv. The countries are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Venezuela and Yemen.

Israeli authorities relied largely on foreign airlines to ensure that crew members from countries with which Israel lacks diplomatic relations were excluded from flights to the country, rather than independently verifying their nationalities. The Shin Bet security service of Israel did not routinely conduct such checks. Israel’s transportation ministry also acknowledged that it lacked the intelligence infrastructure to systematically monitor airline crew rosters.

The aircraft returned to Addis Ababa (the Ethiopian capital), where the pilot was replaced, before departing again and landing in Tel Aviv. Muslim-majority Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Israel, and its nationals are subject to restrictions on operating flights to the Jewish nation. Ethiopian Airlines described the incident as a mistake, saying it had been unaware that the pilot was barred from operating flights to Israel.

The restrictions could affect crew members who hold citizenship of any of the listed countries, including those who also hold another nationality. Air France has also informed its employees about the new requirements. The airline confirmed to Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera that it was complying with the Israeli rules, which it said applied to customers and employees under the entry regulations of the countries it serves.