Israel bars foreign flight crews after hijacking attempt

Israel has barred airline crew from non-diplomatic nations following an attempted hijacking. The directive has forced foreign carriers to revise crew assignments.Image used for representational purposes onlyTelaviv,Oct 15, 2026 13:18 ISTIsrael has barred pilots and cabin crew from Pakistan and other countries without diplomatic relations with it from serving on flights entering its airspace, according to media reports. The restrictions were introduced after an attempted hijacking last month on a flight from the UAE to Israel.Indian captain Smit Machchhar was injured while foiling the suspected plot on the September 30 flydubai flight. The aircraft, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after its Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar and tried to seize control of the plane and crash it into Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport.Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported that the Transportation Ministry's Aviation Security Operations Centre issued the updated directives after the incident. Israeli broadcaster N12 said the ministry informed foreign airlines about the restrictions on October 1.Under the directive, pilots and cabin crew operating flights into Israeli airspace must not be nationals or dual nationals of countries that do not have official diplomatic relations with Israel. The restrictions apply to nationals of more than two dozen countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Tunisia, as well as dual nationals of these countries, the Haaretz newspaper reported.The policy has prompted Air France to adjust crew assignments, while United Airlines has informed its employees about the restrictions, according to French investigative website Mediapart and aviation blog Live and Let's Fly. Mediapart reported that Air France circulated an internal memo informing pilots and cabin crew about the restrictions and warning them of possible sanctions for non-compliance.Live and Let's Fly reported that United Airlines asked pilots and flight attendants affected by the policy to contact its scheduling department for necessary changes. Haaretz also reported that the airline had changed crew assignments in response to the restrictions.Following the attempted hijacking, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a review of security procedures for foreign civilian flights, according to the reports.Machchhar, who was injured in the incident, has been recovering at a hospital in the UAE. Despite his injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and overpower the Omani co-pilot before the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia.Machchhar was hailed as a "hero" by world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.The new restrictions bar crew members from countries without diplomatic ties with Israel from operating flights into its airspace, while airlines have begun changing assignments following the September 30 attempted hijacking.With PTI Inputs- Ends