Israel has barred Pakistani crew members from operating flights that cross its airspace, a restriction imposed after a hijack attempt, and airlines have begun revising their crew rosters in response.

The measure means carriers routing through Israeli-controlled airspace must now staff flights with crews that exclude Pakistani nationals, or plan alternative routings. Airlines serving the region have started adjusting their rosters to comply.

What does this change for carriers?

The restriction directly affects crew planning. Any operator whose network crosses Israeli airspace must now verify the nationality composition of each crew before departure. Where a roster includes Pakistani crew, the airline must either reassign those crew members or reroute the flight around Israeli airspace, adding fuel burn and flight time.

The trigger was a hijack attempt, according to the report. Israeli authorities responded with the crew-nationality restriction rather than a broader airspace closure, keeping the corridors open while tightening who may operate across them.

For airlines with multinational crew pools, the practical consequence is administrative: rostering systems must flag flights transiting Israeli airspace and screen them against crew nationality data before finalizing assignments.

The restriction applies to crew specifically. It does not, on the reported facts, constitute a ban on Pakistani passengers or on Pakistani-registered aircraft as such; it targets the flight deck and cabin complement of aircraft using Israeli airspace.

Carriers that routinely overfly Israel on routes between Asia and Europe, or on regional services, face the most immediate scheduling impact. Roster revisions are already under way at the affected airlines, the report states.

Whether Israel widens the measure or lifts it will depend on how the security assessment behind it evolves following the hijack attempt that prompted the restriction in the first place.