United Airlines pilot suspended after Hamas scandal
United Airlines has suspended pilot Ibrahim Mossallam from flying after he publicly justified the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Two of his colleagues refused first-class seats to spend the flight in the cockpit to monitor his actions. Mossallam also serves on the board of the New York chapter of CAIR.
United Airlines has suspended pilot Ibrahim Mossallam from flying after he publicly justified the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The decision followed reports of distrust from other pilots. Two of his colleagues refused first-class seats to spend the flight in the cockpit to monitor his actions. Mossallam also serves on the board of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). On the day of the attack, he posted a message on social media presenting the terrorists' actions as Palestinian resistance. United Airlines initially suspended him, but after union intervention, he was placed on six months of paid leave, after which he returned to work and continued anti-Israel statements. The new investigation stems from colleagues' reactions during a flight when they chose to stay in the cockpit rather than first class. The airline revisited the situation after a recent incident involving a Flydubai flight. Details of the current decision have not been disclosed.