Pakistani Crew Barred From Air France Flights Serving Israel
JERUSALEM-Air France has barred Pakistani pilots and cabin crew from operating flights to and from Israel as Israeli authorities tighten enforcement of restrictions on airline personnel holding citizenship of countries with which Israel does not maintain diplomatic relations, according to media reports.
US-based United Airlines and Czech carrier Smartwings have also taken steps to comply with the requirements, raising concerns about the impact of nationality-based restrictions on international airline operations and crew deployment.
The stricter enforcement comes in the aftermath of an alleged cockpit attack by Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami aboard a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. The co-pilot allegedly attacked Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchar in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft.
Oman is among the countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, placing its nationals within the category covered by the restrictions.
Reports published on October 13 by French investigative outlet Mediapart and aviation intelligence company ch-aviation said Air France and United Airlines had informed their flight and cabin crew about the requirements. Air France has confirmed that it is complying with the Israeli rules, while United Airlines has incorporated the restrictions into its crew-planning procedures to ensure that personnel covered by them are not assigned to affected routes.
The impact of the stricter enforcement was evident on October 13, when Israeli authorities ordered an Ethiopian Airlines flight to turn back after discovering that an Indonesian pilot was on board.
According to Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post, the aircraft had been airborne for about an hour and was still within Ethiopian airspace when the order was issued. It was directed to return to Addis Ababa so that the pilot could be replaced. After the crew change, the aircraft departed again for Israel and landed in Tel Aviv.
Ethiopian Airlines described the episode as a mistake, saying it had not been aware that the pilot in question was prohibited from operating flights to Israel. Indonesia, like Oman, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, and its nationals are among those covered by the restrictions.
According to Mediapart and Israeli media reports, the restrictions cover 31 Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Niger.
The requirements apply to both pilots and cabin crew holding the nationalities concerned. They also extend to individuals with dual citizenship, meaning that possessing another nationality does not necessarily exempt crew members from the restrictions.
Israeli broadcaster N12 reported that the country’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety notified foreign airlines about the requirements on October 1, setting out the rules governing the deployment of personnel on flights serving Israel.
Although the restrictions were already in place before the September 30 flydubai incident, reports indicate that they had not previously been enforced as strictly. Israeli authorities had largely relied on foreign airlines to ensure that crew members holding the nationalities covered by the rules were not assigned to flights to and from Israel. (IANS)
