Israel forced an Ethiopian flight to turn back because its pilot is Indonesian

An Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane flying from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv was forced to turn back mid-flight after Israeli authorities discovered an Indonesian pilot onboard. The pilot’s nationality prevented him from participating in a flight to Israel, which has no diplomatic relations with Indonesia. The crew list was only provided after takeoff, and the aircraft was recalled while still in Ethiopian airspace, with fuel dumped at sea to facilitate the turn. The pilot was replaced upon return, allowing the plane to continue its journey to Israel. Ethiopian Airlines admitted an error, stating they were unaware of the restriction on that crew member.