Air France says it will comply with Israeli nationality rules for flight crews

Air France told Al Jazeera, in a report published October 13, that it complies with entry rules set by countries it serves and has informed staff affected by Israeli rules for flights to Tel Aviv. The response follows a reported Israeli restriction on crew members who hold citizenship, including dual citizenship, of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel.

What the Israeli crew rules require

All Israel News reported that the Israeli Transport Ministry’s guidelines took effect immediately and make airlines responsible for checking crew citizenship on flights to Israel or through Israeli airspace. It said the rules bar crew with citizenship of countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel and require current security checks.

Al Jazeera reported that Smartwings had received the directive and would comply, although the airline said its operations were not affected at the time. United Airlines declined to comment further and did not confirm whether it had received or acted on the directive.

What Air France’s response establishes

Air France did not detail how it would apply the rules or how many employees or flights they might affect. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify an internal Air France memo described by Mediapart.

An employment lawyer quoted by Al Jazeera said complying with the restriction could conflict with French anti-discrimination law. That is a legal assessment; the report did not establish a court or regulatory finding against Air France.