United grounds pilot who praised October 7 massacre after reports of reinstatement - report

United Airlines has again grounded Captain Ibrahim R. Mossallam after reports revealed he had quietly returned to flying six months after his November 2023 suspension for social media posts praising Hamas's October 7 massacre. The airline confirmed the pilot is "withheld from service pending an ongoing review." Fellow pilots and employees have raised concerns, and new complaints were filed following the September 30 flydubai hijacking. The controversy resurfaced after an Israeli media report exposed his reinstatement, with some pilots reportedly avoiding flying with him.

United Airlines has again grounded Captain Ibrahim R. Mossallam, a pilot who praised Hamas's October 7 massacre in social media posts from 2023. The airline confirmed to The Daily Wire that Mossallam is "withheld from service pending an ongoing review." The controversy resurfaced after an Israeli media report revealed that Mossallam had quietly returned to flying just six months after his initial suspension in November 2023. According to reports, senior United executives had wanted to fire him at the time, but the pilots' union intervened to prevent his dismissal. The issue gained renewed attention following the September 30 flydubai hijacking. Fellow pilots have expressed concerns: two deadheading pilots reportedly gave up first-class seats to sit in cockpit jump seats instead of flying with Mossallam. A United flight attendant told Israeli media that employees reported him in 2023, leading to his suspension, but he was later allowed back. "Now, because of the flydubai incident, we reported him again. We want him fired," the flight attendant said. Other reports allege additional complaints were filed citing concerns about Mossallam's reliability based on views he continues to express on social media. United Airlines recently resumed flights to Tel Aviv after suspending service in February ahead of Operation Roaring Lion.