United Airlines has grounded Captain Ibrahim Mossallam for the second time over social media posts he published after the October 7, 2023 massacre, in which he expressed support for Hamas’s attack on Israel. The decision came after his statements resurfaced and sparked renewed controversy—and questions about the airline’s decision to let him fly passengers again.
According to a report by the aviation site Live and Let’s Fly, Mossallam was first removed from duty in 2023 after he described Hamas’s murderous terror attack as “resistance of a brave people.” Despite this, he was later returned to active service, reportedly following intervention by the pilots’ union. The airline has not released a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding his reinstatement.
The case drew renewed attention following reports of distrust among other pilots at the airline. Among other things, it was claimed that two pilots gave up their first-class seats to monitor Mossallam during a flight due to concerns about his conduct.
Following the renewed uproar, United confirmed that Mossallam is not currently assigned to flights pending completion of an investigation into the matter. The airline did not specify what prompted the reopening of the investigation, what its findings are so far, or when—if ever—he will be allowed to return to duty. According to the report, the original statements he published after the massacre are still available on social media.
🚨BREAKING: UNITED PILOT WHO DEFENDED OCT. 7 STILL FLYING
A United Airlines pilot who described the October 7 attack as “resistance by a brave people” and said it was “not unprovoked” is still flying passengers for the airline.
Ibrahim R. Mossallam was temporarily removed from flying duties after the post sparked outrage, but later returned to the cockpit. Since then, he has continued posting strongly anti-Israel statements.
Mossallam also serves as Vice President of the Board of CAIR-New York.
I asked United a simple question: Why is he still flying passengers?
As of now, United has not provided an official response.
Watch the full report below. @united
— Libby Blanca Alon לבי בלנקה אלון (@libby_alon) October 5, 2026
The controversy in the United States comes just a week after the attempted attack on Fly Dubai flight FZ1073, which departed Dubai for Israel on September 30. During the flight, the Omani first officer attacked the Indian captain and allegedly attempted to crash the plane with its passengers. Israeli passengers and crew members managed to overpower the attacker, and the plane ultimately landed safely in the Saudi city of Tabuk.
According to a statement by the United Arab Emirates Attorney General, the first officer attacked the captain using an emergency axe that was in the cockpit. Authorities defined the incident as an act of terrorism and opened an investigation to determine the motives and circumstances. Meanwhile, reports were published about extremist content found in social media accounts attributed to the suspect, including references to senior al-Qaeda figures.