- Israel introduced new restrictions on 7 October 2026 barring airline pilots and cabin crew with citizenship from countries that have no formal diplomatic relations with Israel from working flights to the country
- At least 10 African countries are reportedly on the restricted list, including Algeria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia
- Air France and United Airlines have reportedly adjusted crew scheduling to comply with the directive, which also affects some dual nationals
Israel has introduced new restrictions affecting foreign airline pilots and cabin crew from countries without formal diplomatic relations with the country, prompting airlines to review staffing for flights to Tel Aviv.
Source: Getty Images
The directive, issued by Israel’s Ministry of Transport on 7 October 2026, reportedly applies to crew members who hold citizenship from restricted countries, including people with dual nationality.
The move followed a reported security incident aboard a FlyDubai flight bound for Tel Aviv on 30 September. According to the account, an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft. Passengers and off-duty crew reportedly intervened, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the National Security Council to review security arrangements governing foreign civil aviation operations entering Israeli airspace in report done by Briefly News..
At least 10 African countries are reportedly included in the restrictions. They are:
- North and West Africa: Algeria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Tunisia.
- East Africa and the Horn of Africa: Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan.
The restrictions reportedly cover between 29 and 31 countries worldwide, depending on the airline’s internal list. They affect crew members who hold citizenship from a restricted country, including those who also have another nationality.
The rules mean that a crew member with both French and Algerian citizenship, for example, could be barred from working on a flight to Israel.
Air France and United Airlines adjust crew schedules
Major international airlines have reportedly begun changing their staffing arrangements to comply with the directive according to media reports.
Air France informed its crew that employees holding citizenship, including dual nationality, from restricted countries could not work on flights operating to Israel.
United Airlines also circulated an internal memo listing restricted nationalities, instructing staff to ensure that affected crew members were removed from Tel Aviv flight schedules before rosters were finalized.
The changes are creating additional challenges for airlines with multinational workforces, as they must check employees’ citizenship status when assigning crew to relevant routes.
Airlines that fail to comply risk having their authorization to operate in Israeli airspace suspended or revoked.
The restrictions have placed nationality checks at the center of airline scheduling, with carriers now required to account for the rules when planning flights to Israel.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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