Ethiopian Airlines Flight Diverted Over Indonesian Pilot
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
An Ethiopian Airlines flight to Tel Aviv was diverted back to Addis Ababa after a pilot was identified as an Indonesian citizen, a country with no diplomatic ties to Israel. The decision was a security precaution following a recent attempted attack on a Flydubai flight. Following the diversion, the pilot was replaced, and the flight successfully landed in Israel. New regulations prevent crew members from certain nations without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying to the country.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- An Ethiopian Airlines flight to Tel Aviv was diverted due to an Indonesian pilot, a citizen of a country without diplomatic ties to Israel.
- The diversion was a security measure taken after a recent attempted attack on a Flydubai flight to Israel.
- Following the diversion, the pilot was replaced, and the flight successfully landed in Tel Aviv.
- New regulations bar flight crews from specific countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying to the country.
- The incident raises concerns about the vetting process for flight crews arriving in Israel.
An Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Tel Aviv was forced to turn back to Addis Ababa on Sunday night, about an hour into its journey, after one of the pilots was identified as an Indonesian citizen. Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Israeli security officials and the Ministry of Transport instructed the airline not to land in Israel. The plane, which was still in Ethiopian airspace, landed back in Addis Ababa. The airline was then ordered to replace the pilot, which it did. Following the crew change, the flight resumed its journey to Tel Aviv and eventually landed in Israel. Ethiopian Airlines stated that there was a mistake and they were unaware the pilot was prohibited from flying to Israel. This incident highlights concerns about how flight crews are vetted before departing for Israel, especially after the Flydubai incident. A directive has been issued to foreign airlines stating that crew members with citizenship from certain countries that do not have official diplomatic relations with Israel are not permitted to fly to or be on board flights to Israel. These countries include Afghanistan, Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, and Somalia. Minister of Transport Miri Regev received the findings of an inquiry into the Flydubai incident on Monday. Previously, it was reported that Regev's attempt to implement a new 48-hour visa approval system for foreign pilots was deemed unfeasible. According to a letter from Oren Ben Shabbat, head of the National Center for Passenger Data Diagnosis, current data submission practices by airlines only occur after aircraft doors are closed, making pre-flight screening of crew members difficult.
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