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French airline Air France has agreed to comply with a controversial Israeli directive barring pilots and cabin crew who are nationals or dual nationals of 31 countries, including Bangladesh, from serving on flights to Tel Aviv.
Citing French investigative outlet Mediapart, Middle East Eye reported that Air France had agreed to Israel’s requirement to exclude crew members from certain countries from flights bound for Israel.
The restrictions affect French employees who hold citizenship or dual citizenship of 31 countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel, including Bangladesh, Algeria, Tunisia, Iran and Pakistan.
Although the directive does not explicitly mention religion, critics argue that its nationality-based restrictions disproportionately affect Muslim pilots and cabin crew from the countries concerned.
Air France has instructed employees with dual nationality to disclose their status promptly and warned of disciplinary action for failing to comply, according to the report. The decision could expose the airline to legal challenges in France.
Israeli news outlet N12 reported that Israel’s Transport Ministry issued the directive on October 1.
The new rules reportedly followed an incident on September 30 involving a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. An Omani co-pilot was accused of attempting to crash the aircraft at an Israeli airport, prompting Israeli authorities to introduce the restrictions on security grounds.
Following the incident, Israeli airlines have also tightened scrutiny of their employees. One Israeli airline has reportedly begun reviewing the backgrounds of around 2,500 pilots and cabin crew members.
The decision has drawn international criticism following Mediapart’s report. Air France has not made any public comment on the matter, according to the report.
