Air France says it will follow new Israeli rules barring crew from some nationalities, after Israel reportedly tightened entry and crew requirements for flights to Tel Aviv. Legal experts say the move could clash with French anti-discrimination law.
01Summary
- 01Air France said it must comply with entry regulations set by countries it serves, including Israel.
- 02Israeli media and Mediapart reported that Israel has listed 31 Muslim-majority countries whose nationals can no longer fly into its airspace.
- 03Israel’s transport ministry reportedly told foreign airlines on 1 October that pilots and cabin crew on flights into Israeli airspace must not hold the nationality or dual nationality of countries without diplomatic ties to Israel.
- 04Smartwings said it received the directive in September 2026 and would comply, while United Airlines said it had nothing to share.
- 05Paris-based lawyer Clara Gandin said the policy could amount to direct and indirect discrimination under French labour law.
02Why it matters
The case could affect crew assignments on flights to Israel and test how far airlines can follow foreign security rules while complying with domestic anti-discrimination laws. It may also matter to many carriers operating into or over Israeli airspace.
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