Paris air traffic controller suspended for broadcasting 'Free Palestine' to Israeli pilots
A French air traffic controller at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) has been suspended for using the airport's communication system to broadcast the phrase “Free Palestine” to the pilots of an Israeli El Al flight just after takeoff.
Israel's flagship carrier reported the radio incident on Tuesday, denouncing the broadcast as “unprofessional and inappropriate.”
The airline further emphasized the importance of adhering to standard procedures during takeoff, highlighting the potential for consequences if deviations occur.
Furthermore, El Al revealed that Israel's civil aviation authority has been in contact with their French counterparts to address the situation and ensure proper protocols are upheld.
Following the incident, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarrot announced the suspension of the air traffic controller responsible for the unauthorized transmission, stressing that disciplinary action would be taken.
In aviation, strict protocols dictate the exclusive use of radio frequencies for crucial messages related to air traffic control or air safety. Conversations that are not operational in nature are defined as prohibited when communicating with pilots.
The latest incident comes a week after pro-Palestinian activists vandalized El Al’s Paris offices with anti-Israel graffiti.
It also follows a larger issue facing El Al in France, as the airline says the country is no longer issuing and renewing work visas for its security personnel.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, sparking strong backlash from Israel.
The announcement came amid growing outrage over reports of widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip.
Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the occupying entity in response to the regime's decades-long campaign of death and devastation against Palestinians.
The Israeli regime has sealed all border crossings, blocking the entry of all aid and worsening the already dire humanitarian conditions in the territory since March 2, when it violated its ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Experts have warned that without immediate action to ease restrictions and ensure access to aid, the humanitarian situation is likely to worsen and deepen the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.
Israel has rejected calls from the UN, aid agencies, and world leaders to allow more aid trucks into the besieged region to alleviate the crisis.
The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 61,722 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
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