Air France Bars Crew of 31 Nationalities From Israel Flights Under New Israeli Rule; Riyadh Suspended Through October

October 12, 2026 — Air France (AF) is applying a new Israeli rule that keeps pilots and cabin crew who hold any of 31 nationalities off flights into Israel. The rule covers French citizens who also hold one of those nationalities. Separately, Air France-KLM has suspended Riyadh service until the end of October.

The Israel crew rule

French investigative outlet Mediapart revealed an internal Air France memo on October 10, and the story was widely reported over the weekend. The memo passes on an instruction from Israel’s Ministry of Transport. Pilots and flight attendants entering Israeli airspace must not hold the nationality, or a second nationality, of a country that has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

Who is affected: crew holding any of 31 nationalities. Reports name Algeria, Tunisia, Iran and Pakistan among them, and InfosTourisme also lists Oman. French dual nationals are covered. Morocco and the UAE, which have normal relations with Israel, are not on the list.
What staff were told: according to Mediapart, as reported by Middle East Eye, affected employees can no longer work flights to Israel. Staff were asked to declare any second nationality, and not doing so could lead to disciplinary action.
Air France’s position: the airline told Le Monde and AFP that it must comply with the entry rules of the countries it flies to. It has not published the full terms.
When the rule began: Israeli broadcaster N12 reported that the ministry issued the order on October 1. The date Air France began enforcing it is TBA.
Reaction: some French politicians have criticized the move, and reports say it could face challenges under French labor and anti-discrimination law. InfosTourisme says employee representatives have objected publicly but does not name a union.
Schedule: as of October 12, no reduction in Air France’s Tel Aviv schedule had been confirmed.

The order followed the September 30 attack on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. UAE authorities say the Omani co-pilot attacked the captain, and the aircraft diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. United issued a similar internal crew notice on October 10.

Riyadh suspended through October

After the attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, Air France-KLM has extended its suspension of Riyadh flights to the end of the month. KLM’s own notice says its Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai flights are cancelled up to and including October 31. Passengers on cancelled KLM flights can rebook free of charge or ask for a refund.

What it means for non-revs

Air France crew and staff with one of the listed nationalities should assume they cannot work Tel Aviv flights. If you planned to deadhead or ride to TLV, check with crew scheduling or the pass bureau first, because it is not yet clear how far the rule reaches beyond working crew.
Other airlines’ employees: the rule comes from Israel, not Air France. United has already put out a similar notice. If you hold one of these nationalities and work for any carrier serving Israel, expect the same restriction.
Riyadh is off the map on Air France and KLM until at least November 1. ZED and interline travelers heading to Saudi Arabia should not count on AF or KL. KLM has also cut Dubai until October 31, so expect fuller Gulf flights on other carriers.
Paris travel later this month: the separate strike notice from French pilots and cabin crew for October 17–21 still stands, as we reported earlier. Leave yourself a backup routing that week.