Air France restricts Pakistani, Muslim-majority crew from Israel flights under new rules
What Happened
Air France has confirmed it is complying with new Israeli rules restricting pilots and cabin crew who hold citizenship or dual citizenship of countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel from operating Tel Aviv flights. Reports say the restriction covers 31 countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Key Takeaways
Importantly, reports indicate that the Israeli restriction is based on nationality and diplomatic relations, not religion. Birthplace, residence or religion are not mentioned in the reported directive, so describing it simply as a ban on “Muslim crew” could be misleading.