- Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight returned to Addis Ababa after Israel denied it landing because its pilot was Indonesian
- Decision followed tighter security measures introduced after attempted attack aboard FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv
Updated 13 October 2026 19:27
LONDON: An Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane bound for Israel returned to Addis Ababa overnight on Sunday after Israeli authorities denied it permission to land because its pilot was an Indonesian citizen, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.
The decision followed tighter restrictions on foreign airline crews introduced after a reported attack aboard a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv. Israel and Indonesia do not have diplomatic relations.
The Ethiopian Airlines flight’s crew list was submitted to Israeli authorities only after takeoff, Israeli media reported. The plane dumped fuel over the sea before returning to Addis Ababa, where the pilot was replaced by one cleared to fly into Israel.
The incident came less than two weeks after an Omani pilot allegedly stabbed his copilot aboard a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv in an attempt to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport. Passengers reportedly intervened and thwarted the attack.
Since then, Israel’s Transportation Ministry has reportedly tightened restrictions on foreign airlines, prohibiting citizens of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from serving as pilots or crew members, or otherwise traveling aboard Israel-bound flights.