A controversy is affecting Air France after the revelation of an internal memo addressed to its pilots and cabin crew. According to Mediapart, the French airline relayed a new directive from the Israeli Ministry of Transport, imposing nationality restrictions on crews of planes flying to Israel.
The measure stipulates that no crew member may possess the nationality or dual nationality of a country that does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Israel. Among the nationalities concerned are, in particular, Algerian, Tunisian, Iranian, and Pakistani nationals.
Employees with dual French-Algerian or French-Tunisian nationality would therefore also be affected, even if they hold French citizenship.
This directive comes after the attempted attack that occurred on September 30 aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. An Omani co-pilot assaulted the captain and tried to take control of the aircraft, which was ultimately diverted to Saudi Arabia.
According to the investigation, Air France informed its crews of the new restrictions and the possible consequences in case of non-compliance. The measure raises questions about its discriminatory nature, particularly regarding employees with dual nationality.
At this stage, Air France has neither publicly confirmed nor denied the information revealed by Mediapart.
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