Jakarta. An Ethiopian Airlines passenger flight heading to Israel was forced to return to Addis Ababa after Israeli authorities reportedly refused to allow it to land because an Indonesian national was among the pilots operating the aircraft.

The incident was reported Monday by Turkey's Anadolu Agency, citing Israel's Channel 12 television network.

According to the report, the aircraft had been airborne for approximately one hour and was still flying over Ethiopian territory when Israeli authorities instructed the airline to turn back.

The decision followed the discovery of the pilot's Indonesian nationality by Israeli intelligence and airport officials, who alerted security authorities and the Transportation Ministry.

The airline subsequently returned the aircraft to Addis Ababa, replaced the Indonesian pilot and resumed the journey to Tel Aviv, where it eventually landed.

Ethiopian Airlines reportedly attributed the incident to an oversight, saying it had not been aware of restrictions preventing the pilot from operating flights to Israel.

Channel 12 reported that Israeli authorities had previously notified foreign carriers of restrictions on assigning crew members from certain countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

The countries identified in the report were Afghanistan, Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Niger, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Venezuela.

Indonesia and Israel do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.

The report did not identify the Indonesian pilot or provide details about the flight number and the number of passengers affected.

There was no immediate official response from Ethiopian or Indonesian authorities regarding the incident.

Security Concerns Following Earlier Hijacking Attempt
The reported restriction comes amid heightened aviation security concerns following an attempted hijacking involving a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30.

According to United Arab Emirates prosecutors, an Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to take control of the aircraft and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

Passengers and crew reportedly intervened to prevent the attack, allowing the aircraft to land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The incident has drawn attention to aviation security measures affecting flights bound for Israel, although the reports did not establish whether the Ethiopian Airlines flight was turned back as a direct consequence of the earlier attempted hijacking.

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