Overview
- United confirmed it has withheld Capt. Ibrahim R. Mossallam from flight service while it conducts a review after renewed reporting about his past social‑media posts praising the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
- Mossallam drew scrutiny in 2023 after posts that called the attack “resistance” and referred to the attackers as “brave people,” and United removed him from flight duty and opened an investigation while continuing his pay.
- Israeli Channel 14 and other reports say Mossallam was allowed back into the cockpit about six months after his 2023 suspension, though United has not publicly confirmed the timing of any reinstatement.
- Journalists reporting from sources say two deadheading United pilots gave up first‑class seats and stayed in the cockpit on a flight operated by Mossallam because they did not trust him, and those reports also say the pilots’ union previously blocked management from firing him.
- The case has gained new attention after the September 30 attempted Flydubai hijacking and now raises tangible questions about how airlines screen pilots, how unions and contracts limit discipline, and how crew mistrust can affect flight operations and passenger safety.