‘Israel’ turns away Ethiopian Airlines flight over Indonesian crew member: ‘Israeli’ media

• The aircraft reportedly returned to Addis Ababa after the crew list was submitted to ‘Israeli’ authorities only after departure.
• The incident highlights the implications of ‘Israel’s’ lack of diplomatic relations with Indonesia and comes amid heightened scrutiny of airline crews following a separate Flydubai incident.

 An Ethiopian Airlines cargo aircraft traveling from Addis Ababa was forced to reverse course overnight from Sunday into Monday after ‘Israel' reportedly refused to allow it to land because an Indonesian national was among its crew, according to Hebrew media reports.

‘Israel’ has no diplomatic relations with Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

‘Israel’s’ Channel 13 reported that the flight’s crew manifest was provided to ‘Israeli’ authorities only after the aircraft had taken off, meaning the Indonesian crew member’s presence was identified after the journey was already underway. The aircraft subsequently turned back, according to the reports.

The episode follows a separate incident involving a Flydubai flight, which has prompted renewed attention to security procedures governing airline personnel traveling to ‘Israel’. According to the account provided in Hebrew media reports, an Omani pilot stabbed his co-pilot during that incident in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft.

The reports have raised questions about how crew members from countries without diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’ are screened and cleared to enter its airspace and airports.

Read more: ‘Israeli’ president sends letter to Flydubai pilot, invites him to ‘Israel’