Lessons Learned: The Company That Suspended a Pilot Who Praised October 7

United Airlines has again suspended Captain Ibrahim Muslim after he expressed support for the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Muslim was initially removed in 2023 but reinstated. The current suspension comes amid an attempted attack on a Flydubai flight to Israel.

American airline United Airlines has once again removed Captain Ibrahim Muslim from flight service, following statements he posted on social media after the October 7, 2023 massacre, in which he described the attack as 'the resistance of a brave people.' Muslim was initially removed in 2023 but was reinstated, reportedly due to intervention by the pilots' union. The renewed suspension comes amid public outcry and reports of distrust from other pilots, who even gave up their first-class seats to monitor him during a flight. The company confirmed that Muslim is currently not assigned to flights pending an investigation, but did not detail the circumstances. The affair occurs about a week after the attempted attack on Flydubai flight FZ1073, where the Omani co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe.