Air France Implements Israeli Ban Excluding Pilots from 31 Nationalities

Air France has agreed to enforce a new Israeli directive that bars pilots and cabin crew with any of 31 specified nationalities from entering Israeli airspace, effectively targeting citizens of several Muslim-majority countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Iran and Pakistan. The airline notified affected employees that they must declare any secondary nationality and face possible disciplinary measures if they fail to do so.

The Israeli Ministry of Transport issued the order after an alleged solo attempt by a flydubai co-pilot to commandeer a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport. The suspect, who previously worked for Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc, joined flydubai in January 2026. Israeli media reported that at least one local airline is reviewing the backgrounds of roughly 2,500 pilots and cabin crew. Air France has not publicly commented on the investigation or the new restrictions.