A French air traffic controller has been suspended after yelling “Free Palestine” to pilots operating an El Al flight from Paris to Tel Aviv.

After “Free Palestine” Quip To El Al Flight, French Air Traffic Controller Suspended

Here’s what happened:

• On August 11, 2025, shortly after takeoff from a Tel Aviv-bound flight (TLV) at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), a French air traffic controller transmitted “Free Palestine” to the El Al cockpit over the radio during standard communications.
• Pilots immediately reported the incident to the company, who reported it to Israeli authorities, who reached out to their French counterparts.
• In a statement, El Al said, “El Al views the incident that took place last night, in which a French air traffic controller addressed one of its pilots in an unprofessional and inappropriate manner, with the utmost seriousness. We are addressing the matter with Israeli authorities, who are in contact with their French counterparts. El Al will continue flying around the world with the Israeli flag on its aircraft tails with pride, while upholding professionalism and ensuring the safety and security of its passengers and crews.”
• On August 12, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot publicly announced the controller’s immediate suspension and confirmed that disciplinary proceedings are already underway, stating, “The punishment must match the severity of the act.”

Tabarot announced the suspension on X:

Unacceptable Conduct From Air Traffic Controller

When an air traffic controller uses the cockpit radio as a political podium, he puts the safety of others a risk. That communication channel is not the appropriate place to express political grievances over a nuanced geopolitical issue.

Regular readers know where I stand on this matter politically…but that’s not really the point here. The point is you are free to believe what you want about Israel or Gaza, but there is a time, place, and manner to dialogue and uttering political barbs while an aircraft is taking off calls into question fitness for duty.

Yes, the people who have been led to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza are understandably agitated. But lecturing pilots strikes me as the same sort of disgusting intimidation that led a rogue catering employee to scribble “Free Palestine” on Kosher meals on a recent Iberia flight.

> Read More: Iberia Passenger Finds “Free Palestine” Message On Kosher Meal

The El Al Visa Issue

Concurrently, France and Israel are in discussions over he issuance of visas for the security staff El Al employees at every station it serves around the world, including in France. When you fly El Al, you can expect an invasive questioning and a potential additional body search before you even step onto an El Al flight. The Israeli flag carrier says this is necessary due to safety and security concerns.

I happen to be skeptical of that and don’t like the idea of being subject to additional scrutiny on foreign soil (it was bad enough in Israel…). Israel is a sovereign country and has every right to screen people as it wishes before allowing them into Israel, but I also don’t think nations like France or the US should have to facilitate passengers being treated like criminals…

And yet I do understand why El Al does what it does…El Al offices in Paris were vandalized last week. I won’t superficially reduce it to “antisemitism,” but El Al is not necessarily wrong that it faces a unique threat.

CONCLUSION

The air traffic controller deserved to be suspended for his inappropriate political commentary. Even as public anger grows against the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the ongoing war, there is no room for political banter in air traffic control communications. As for the visa issue, I’m far less troubled that El Al is facing some roadblocks for this invasive “security” policy that treats passengers as guilty until proven innocent.

image: Oyoyoy / Wikemedia Commons