Air France has reportedly informed its pilots and cabin crew of new Israeli restrictions preventing employees holding certain nationalities, including dual nationals, from operating flights to Israel, according to an investigation published by French outlet Mediapart on Saturday.
The measure reportedly follows a directive issued by Israel's Ministry of Transport, barring crew members who hold citizenship of countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel from entering Israeli airspace.
The restrictions would also apply to employees who hold French citizenship alongside a second nationality of one of the affected countries.
The move comes after a new Israeli Ministry of Transport security directive on 8 October that bars flight crew members from 31 nationalities.
According to Mediapart, Air France circulated an internal memo listing the nationalities concerned, including Algeria, Tunisia, Iran and Pakistan.
The airline reportedly warned employees that failing to comply with the directive could result in sanctions.
The measure distinguishes between countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and those that do not, potentially affecting crew members from several Middle Eastern, North African and Asian countries.
Mediapart linked the directive to an alleged incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv in late September 2026.
According to the report, an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the aircraft's captain and attempted to crash the plane.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia, where the situation was brought under control after passengers and crew members reportedly restrained the attacker.
The reported restrictions raise questions about the treatment of dual-nationality employees and the implications for airline staffing on routes to Israel.
However, Air France has not publicly confirmed or denied the existence of the directive or the reported internal memo.
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