Israel Expands Flight Crew Restrictions to Include Transit Flights
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Israel has expanded its ban on foreign flight crews to include those on flights transiting its airspace, not just those landing in the country. The new rules, prompted by an attempted hijacking on a Flydubai flight, prohibit crew members with citizenship from countries lacking diplomatic ties with Israel, even if they hold dual citizenship. Airlines must now submit passport details for all crew on flights overflying Israel, potentially impacting flight planning and routes in the region.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel now bans flight crews with citizenship from non-diplomatic nations on all flights transiting its airspace.
- The expanded restrictions follow an attempted hijacking on a Flydubai flight by an Omani citizen.
- Airlines must provide passport details for all crew on flights overflying Israel, regardless of landing status.
- The ban applies to sole citizens, dual citizens, and crew on transit flights from listed countries.
- The list of countries includes Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela, among others.
- The move could complicate flight planning and alter routes in the Middle East.
Israel is expanding its restrictions on foreign flight crews, now prohibiting pilots and flight attendants with citizenship from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel from working on flights transiting through Israeli airspace, not just those landing in Israel. This means airlines wishing to fly to or over Israel must ensure none of their operational crew members hold citizenship from a listed country, even if they possess dual citizenship from a country with diplomatic ties to Israel.
The decision follows an attempted terror attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel on September 30. Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The incident reportedly exposed failures in enforcing existing policies, prompting Israel to not only enforce current restrictions but also broaden their scope.
The new regulations apply to three groups: crew members whose sole citizenship is from a listed country, those with dual citizenship even if they reside and work in a country with diplomatic ties to Israel, and crew members on flights passing through Israeli airspace who hold citizenship from one of the specified nations. The list of countries includes Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Belize, Brunei, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nicaragua, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Venezuela, and Yemen.
To enforce these rules, airlines will be required to submit passport details of all crew members on flights overflying Israel, even if they do not land there. This could complicate flight planning in the region, where airlines already face security constraints and route changes due to the Middle East situation. For example, Qatar Airways already bypasses Israeli airspace for some North American flights due to the lack of diplomatic ties, a detour that lengthens flight times. The new restrictions may add further complexity to air traffic planning in the area, though the exact implications for schedules and routes remain unclear.
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