United Airlines has again removed Captain Ibrahim R. Mossallam from duty following the emergence of past social media posts in which he expressed support for Hamas’s October 7 attack, The Daily Wire reported Wednesday.
An airline spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Wire on Tuesday that the pilot has been “withheld from service pending an ongoing review.”
Mossallam was initially suspended with pay in November 2023. However, an Israeli media report published Monday revealed that the carrier had quietly permitted him to resume flying just six months later.
According to The Daily Wire, United Airlines declined to confirm whether Mossallam had returned to the cockpit after the company opened its initial investigation in late 2023.
Israeli media reports also claimed that senior United executives had sought to terminate Mossallam at the time, but the pilots’ union intervened to block his dismissal, enabling his return to flying duties.
In his 2023 posts, Mossallam praised Hamas’s October 7 attacks, describing the group’s actions as “brave” and “not unprovoked,” and asserted that “the mass media is manipulated in a political and biased way to show a non-conquering narrative of Palestine.”
At the time, the airline stated, “As of these moments, the pilot has been removed from service with continued payment of his salary,” adding, “We are looking into the matter and his continued work at the company.”
United Pilots Reportedly Express Concerns Over Mossallam
The controversy reignited following the September 30 flydubai hijacking incident.
Recent reports indicate that Mossallam has lost the confidence of some fellow pilots, Simple Flying reported Wednesday.
According to the report, two off-duty pilots traveling as passengers on a United flight operated by Mossallam relinquished their first-class seats to occupy the cockpit jump seats. The pilots were reportedly deadheading—traveling to another airport for a work assignment.
Other United employees have also voiced concerns about Mossallam and called for his termination, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
A United flight attendant told Israeli media that staff had reported Mossallam in 2023, prompting his initial suspension, though he was later permitted to return.
“Now, because of the flydubai incident, we reported him again. We want him fired,” the flight attendant said.
“The employees don’t want him to ever come back here,” the flight attendant added.
Other media reports allege that United pilots recently filed additional complaints against Mossallam, citing concerns about his reliability given views he has continued to express publicly on social media.
United Airlines Resumes Flights to Israel
United Airlines resumed flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport (TLV) on September 9 after suspending service in February ahead of Operation Roaring Lion.
The carrier also announced plans to resume direct flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in October.
Additionally, United is slated to resume flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in March 2027, The Jerusalem Post previously reported.
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