World  | 

Israel Orders Incoming Cargo Jet to Turn Around

Indonesian pilot of Ethiopian Airlines flight had to be replaced
Posted Oct 13, 2026 7:56 PM CDT
Israel Rejects Flight With Indonesian Pilot
An Ethiopian Airlines plane parked at the airport in Mekelle, Ethiopia, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.   (AP Photo/Filmon Equar Hailu)

Israel appears to have stepped up enforcement of its flight regulations after the FlyDubai cockpit attack. An Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane bound for Tel Aviv was forced to turn around on Monday because one of the pilots was from Indonesia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, the Telegraph reports. Israeli regulations ban pilots from countries that don't have diplomatic relations with Israel from flying to the country. The co-pilot accused of attacking a FlyDubai captain and seizing the controls in an apparent attempt to crash the Tel Aviv-bound plane on Sept. 30 is from Oman, which also doesn't have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

According to Israeli media, the list of crew members on the Ethiopian Airlines jet wasn't sent to Israel until after the plane had taken off. The plane reportedly had to dump its fuel in the Red Sea before it returned to Addis Ababa, where the Indonesian pilot was replaced with one cleared to land in Israel. Israel's security agencies have reportedly been warning for years that not enough checks are carried out on the flight crews of foreign airlines, while transportation authorities say they don't have the necessary intelligence apparatus, per the Times of Israel. Israeli prosecutors say Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot, was inspired by the 9/11 attacks and planned to crash the FlyDubai plane into the passenger terminal at Tel Aviv.

Read These Next
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X
More News: Sports | Tech | Politics | Business | World