After flydubai incident, Air France follows Israel restrictions and bans Pakistani, Muslim-majority crew

Air France has confirmed it is complying with new Israeli restrictions that bar flight crew members from certain nationalities from operating flights to Israel, a policy that reportedly affects citizens of 31 countries, most of them Muslim-majority nations, including Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Tunisia.“Like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry regulations established by the authorities of the countries it serves, both for its customers and employees,” the airline told Al Jazeera in a statement.“The staff concerned have been informed of the new regulations implemented by the Israeli authorities for flights to Tel Aviv,” it added.Israel’s directive affects crew from 31 countriesAccording to Israeli broadcaster N12, Israel’s Ministry of transport and road safety informed foreign airlines on October 1 that pilots and cabin crew operating flights into Israeli airspace must not hold the nationality or dual nationality of countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.The directive reportedly covers 31 countries, many of them Muslim-majority nations. The list includes Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia and Niger.The move came a day after an Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv and crash it into Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on September 30, according to Emirati and Israeli authorities. The co-pilot is accused of attacking the aircraft’s Indian pilot, who has been recovering in hospital.The restrictions could affect dozens of airlines operating flights to, from or over Israel.Other airlines confirm receiving directiveCzech airline Smartwings confirmed it had received the Israeli directive, but said its operations had not been affected so far.“We received the directive from the Israeli authorities in September 2026. We have carefully reviewed the directive and continue to monitor and comply with all applicable requirements issued by the relevant authorities. At present, the directive does not have any impact on our operations, crew management procedures, or the deployment of crew members on flights to and from Israel,” Smartwings spokeswoman Vladimira Dufkova told Al Jazeera.United Airlines said it had nothing to share but did not confirm whether it had received the directive or changed crew assignments.An internal memo to Air France pilots and cabin crew, seen by French investigative publication Mediapart, warned that “failure to comply with this directive would expose Air France and the employee to potential sanctions”. However he memo could not be independently verified.The restrictions have raised concerns over possible discrimination against airline employees based on nationality and could expose carriers to legal challenges under French employment law, according to legal experts cited by Al Jazeera.Paris-based anti-discrimination lawyer Clara Gandin said the restrictions could put Air France at odds with French employment law by treating employees differently based on nationality.“The measure rests on a collective presumption which amounts to a discriminatory bias: Every national of these 31 countries, most of them Arab or Muslim-majority, is treated as a potential security threat,” Gandin told the outlet.“Article L1132-1 of the French Labour Code prohibits any discriminatory measure based on a person’s actual or perceived nationality, in particular regarding assignment, pay and discipline,” she added.Gandin said the policy could also amount to indirect discrimination based on origin and possibly perceived religion, given that most countries on the list are Arab or Muslim-majority.According to legal experts, Israel’s authority to regulate access to its airspace and territory raises a separate question from whether airlines complying with the directive could breach employment laws in their home countries.Vincent Correia, a professor of air law at McGill University in Canada, said international aviation law recognises state sovereignty over territorial airspace.He also pointed to Article 13 of the 1944 Chicago Convention, which allows countries to enforce rules governing the admission of passengers and crew.He said crew members from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel were already barred from flying there, making the new directive relevant mainly to dual nationals.Gandin, however, said a country’s authority to impose entry restrictions did not automatically exempt airlines from their obligations under applicable national laws.She said Air France could choose not to operate routes under the restrictions or challenge the directive through the French government, the French Civil Aviation Authority or the European Union.Affected employees could seek damages, while trade unions could initiate legal proceedings, she said. Gandin also warned that the policy could raise concerns under data protection laws if airlines collected information on employees’ nationality without a direct and necessary link to their jobs.According to Mediapart, Air France had considered asking crew members to voluntarily disclose whether they were affected by the directive.The Alter union, which represents flight deck crew, reportedly persuaded management not to proceed, arguing that the measure would amount to “discrimination based on nationality”.The wider impact on international airlines remains unclear. Correia warned that similar restrictions adopted by other countries could complicate crew scheduling and airline operations.