Ethiopian Airlines flight denied landing in Israel over Indonesian pilot

An Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Tel Aviv was forced to turn back mid-air between Sunday and Monday after Israel refused to let it land because one of its pilots was Indonesian.

Israeli TV broadcaster Channel 12 reported Monday that the plane was about an hour into its flight from Addis Ababa, and still in Ethiopian airspace, when the order was issued.

The plane returned to Addis Ababa and the pilot was replaced. The aircraft then departed again and was allowed to land in Tel Aviv.

Ethiopian Airlines said the incident was a mistake. The company said it was unaware that the Indonesian pilot could not operate flights to Israel.

The episode occurred after Israel issued new restrictions on foreign pilots. Crew members from several countries without diplomatic relations with the country, including Indonesia, are now barred from taking part in Israel-bound flights.

The move came after an Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to hijack and crash a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month.

At least 10 African countries are affected by the restrictions, including Algeria, Comoros, Libya, Niger and Somalia, according to a United Airlines memo.