The Israel aircrew ban bars pilots and cabin crew who hold the nationality, or a second nationality, of countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel, according to a Mediapart investigation. Pakistan is among the nationalities named in the reported list. Air France has told affected staff they can no longer operate flights to Israel, Mediapart reported, and staff have been asked to declare any second nationality. The airline warned that failure to comply could lead to disciplinary action.
Israel aircrew ban covers 31 nationalities, reports say
According to Israeli broadcaster N12, Israel’s Ministry of Transport issued the directive on October 1. It requires airlines to ensure that pilots and flight attendants entering Israeli airspace do not hold the nationality, or dual nationality, of a state without diplomatic ties to Israel. The reported list covers 31 nationalities, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Iran, Oman, Pakistan and Tunisia.
The test is nationality, not religion, and faith is not named in the order. In practice, most listed states are Muslim-majority countries, which is why the measure has drawn sharp criticism. States that normalised relations with Israel, such as Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, are not under the same filter. French citizens who also hold a listed nationality are affected, which places dual nationals at the centre of the dispute.
Air France is not the only carrier acting on the order. United Airlines has also sent an internal memo to its crew about the restriction, aviation outlets reported on Saturday. Israeli broadcaster Channel 13 reported that one unnamed Israeli airline was checking around 2,500 pilots and cabin crew against the new rules. Airlines that ignore such directives risk their access to Israeli airspace, as the PIA flights to Riyadh suspension and wider flight suspensions after the Riyadh airport attack showed.
The flydubai incident behind the directive
The order followed an alleged attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Reports say an Omani co-pilot on flight FZ1073 allegedly attacked the captain and tried to seize the aircraft, intending to crash it at Ben Gurion Airport. Passengers and crew restrained him, and the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot had joined flydubai in January 2026 after earlier work at Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc, and is reported to have told UAE investigators that he acted alone.
Those accounts have not been independently verified, and both Middle East Eye and ProPakistani flagged that point. What is documented is the policy response in Israel. Figures presented to a closed session of a Knesset subcommittee, reported by i24NEWS, put aircrew entries from countries without ties to Israel at 1,240 this year, including pilots. The disclosure has driven a wider review of how foreign aircrew are screened.
What the ban means for Pakistani crew
For Pakistani readers, the direct effect is narrow but real. Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel, so Pakistani nationality alone places a pilot or flight attendant on the listed side of the rule. The sharper effect falls on dual nationals: a French, British or American crew member who also holds Pakistani nationality can no longer be rostered onto Israel flights, even when travelling on the other passport. Airlines carry the duty to enforce the check, so the ban will sit inside rostering systems rather than at the gate.
The order also raises legal questions in France. Labour lawyers and some French politicians have argued that enforcing a nationality filter against a carrier’s own staff could breach French labour and anti-discrimination law. Air France had not replied to Middle East Eye’s request for comment by publication. French reporting cited elsewhere said the airline told Le Monde and AFP it must follow destination countries’ admission rules for passengers and staff.
The dispute now sits between two legal orders, and no court ruling has settled it. It sits within a fast-changing regional picture that also includes Israel’s move against the British consulate in Jerusalem, continuing Israeli strikes on Gaza and pro-Palestinian marches across European cities. Mediapart’s investigation, via Middle East Eye, is here, and ProPakistani’s report is here.
FAQ
Who does the Israel aircrew ban cover?
It covers pilots and cabin crew who hold the nationality, or a dual nationality, of a country without diplomatic relations with Israel. Reported lists name 31 nationalities, including Pakistani and Iranian.
Which airlines are enforcing it?
Air France has told affected staff they cannot operate Israel flights, according to Mediapart. United Airlines has also circulated an internal memo to crew, aviation outlets reported.
What triggered the directive?
It followed an alleged September 30 attack aboard a flydubai Dubai to Tel Aviv flight, in which an Omani co-pilot was accused of trying to seize the aircraft. That account has not been independently verified.
