Israel bars Pakistani pilots and crew from its airspace after flydubai incident
What Happened
Israel has introduced restrictions barring pilots and cabin crew who hold citizenship, including dual citizenship, of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from operating flights into its airspace. Pakistan, Iran and Oman are among the countries reportedly covered. Airlines including Air France have said they will comply.
Key Takeaways
The restrictions followed an alleged September 30 hijacking attempt aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, in which an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar and tried to seize control of the aircraft. Reports differ on the exact number of nationalities covered, and no official full list has been published.