An Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Tel Aviv was forced to return to Addis Ababa after Israel denied it permission to land because one of its pilots was Indonesian.

Israeli television broadcaster Channel 12 reported on Monday that the aircraft had been about an hour into its journey from Addis Ababa and was still in Ethiopian airspace when the order was issued.

The plane subsequently returned to Addis Ababa, where the Indonesian pilot was replaced. The aircraft then departed again and was permitted to land in Tel Aviv.

Ethiopian Airlines described the incident as a mistake, saying it was unaware that the Indonesian pilot was prohibited from operating flights to Israel.

The incident followed new Israeli restrictions barring foreign crew members from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel, including Indonesia, from participating in flights bound for the country.

The restrictions were introduced after an Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to hijack and crash a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month.

According to a United Airlines memo, at least 10 African countries are affected by the restrictions, including Algeria, Comoros, Libya, Niger and Somalia. (Arise News)