10 African countries caught up in Israel’s restrictions on foreign airline pilots and cabin crew

At least 10 African countries are affected by Israeli restrictions barring certain foreign airline pilots and cabin crew from operating flights to and from Israel, according to an internal United Airlines memo reported by aviation publication Live and Let’s Fly.

The list includes Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia. The restrictions cover crew members who hold citizenship, including dual nationality, from countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Issued by Israel’s Ministry of Transport on October 7, the measures follow a September 30 incident aboard a FlyDubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, where an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to seize control. The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia after passengers intervened.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently ordered a review of international flight security. His office said he “has instructed the head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, to appoint an examiner to conduct a thorough review of all security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel.”

Airlines that fail to comply with the restrictions risk immediate suspension or revocation of their authorization to enter Israeli airspace.

In a report published on October 10, French investigative outlet Mediapart revealed that Air France had informed pilots and cabin crew of an Israeli directive prohibiting crew members holding nationality or dual nationality of countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel from operating flights entering Israeli airspace.

The Times of Israel, reporting on the disclosure, said Air France’s restrictions covered 31 countries, including Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The report said the policy had triggered controversy in France over the treatment of employees based on nationality and dual citizenship.

Separately, Live and Let’s Fly reported on October 10 that United Airlines had circulated an internal scheduling memo listing 29 countries whose citizens could not operate or travel aboard its flights to and from Tel Aviv.

The two reports indicate that the restrictions are affecting airline crew scheduling beyond Israeli carriers, including employees who hold a second nationality alongside French or American citizenship.

The measures also raise questions about how airlines will manage staffing, particularly where crew members hold multiple passports. Air France said it was obliged to comply with the entry requirements imposed by countries it serves, according to The Times of Israel.

As reported, the lists published by the outlets differ in the number of affected countries, so the 10 African countries identified in United’s memo may not automatically be regarded as an exhaustive list of all African nationalities potentially affected by Israel’s rules.