Israeli security authorities turned back an Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight from Addis Ababa after finding an Indonesian crew member aboard
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — An Ethiopian Airlines cargo aircraft traveling from Addis Ababa to Israel was barred by Israeli security authorities from entering Israeli airspace after it was confirmed that an Indonesian citizen was among the crew.
Israeli authorities issued the order approximately an hour after the flight departed Addis Ababa while the aircraft was still within Ethiopian airspace. Upon determining that a crew member held Indonesian citizenship, security officials instructed the aircraft to return to its point of origin. The plane returned to Addis Ababa, replaced the crew member, and departed again, landing safely in Tel Aviv.
Ethiopian Airlines described the incident as an oversight, noting that the crew member was unaware of being prohibited from operating flights into Israeli airspace. Israeli aviation security guidelines require foreign carriers to refrain from assigning crew members holding citizenship from nations without diplomatic relations with Israel, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Niger, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Venezuela.
The restriction comes amid heightened security concerns following an incident aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026, in which an assistant pilot attempted to divert the aircraft toward Ben Gurion Airport before being restrained by crew and passengers, forcing a diversion to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
In a separate diplomatic development, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding bilateral relations and regional affairs, following direct phone consultations between Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
__
Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Subscribe to YouTube channel To share information or for submission, send e-mail to info@borkena.com
To Support Borkena : https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/ – one time support or small monthly options available. Inquire information about it : info@borkena.com