An Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight from Addis Ababa to Ben Gurion Airport was forced to return to Ethiopia overnight after one of its pilots was identified as an Indonesian citizen. Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country that does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
The plane was already en route to Israel when authorities received the crew list, which had been submitted only after takeoff. A review revealed the pilot’s nationality, and the aircraft was not cleared to enter Israel.
After spending about an hour in the air, still within Ethiopian airspace, the plane was ordered to turn back and landed in Addis Ababa.
The airline was instructed to replace the Indonesian pilot before the flight could continue to Israel. After the crew change, the cargo plane took off again and subsequently landed in Israel.
Ethiopian Airlines said the incident was a mistake and that it had not been aware the pilot could not participate in a flight to Israel.
The incident occurred about two weeks after an alleged terror plot was uncovered aboard a Flydubai flight to Israel, in which an Omani pilot reportedly planned to crash the aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport.