United Pilot Barred From Flying to Israel Amid Security Concerns

A pilot for United Airlines will not be permitted to fly to Israel following information passed to Israeli security and transportation officials. Senior officials in the Ministry of Transport confirmed to Ynet that flights with the pilot as crew will be denied entry to Israel. The pilot, identified as Sina Amjadian, an Iranian-born individual, was reportedly found to have expressed support for the Iranian regime, the Revolutionary Guards, and Hezbollah on social media platforms. These claims, based on posts from other users on X, were forwarded to Israeli authorities.

On October 19, the Director General of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Avi Cohen Scali, sent a letter to the Head of the Shin Bet, David Zinai, and the Director General of the Ministry of Transport, Moshe Ben Zaken, alerting them to the social media posts. The letter noted that following an attempted hijacking on a Flydubai flight to Israel in late September, a national control center monitoring antisemitism now also monitors individuals who could pose a threat to aviation. The letter included two posts from X, one alleging Amjadian, a former Flydubai employee, posted content aligned with the Iranian regime, including a video of him kissing and saluting a regime symbol. Another post claimed he expressed support for the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, urging United Airlines to investigate his conduct. These allegations have not been independently verified.

Officials from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs stated that the information raised concerns warranting a professional security review, given the sensitive role of an international airline pilot. They requested an update on the investigation's findings and any actions taken. Senior officials in the Ministry of Transport clarified that while they are not an intelligence agency, they act in coordination with security bodies when aviation safety concerns are raised. In this case, they decided to prevent flights with Amjadian as a pilot from reaching Israel. It remains unclear if Amjadian had previously flown to Israel, was scheduled for such a flight, or operates the aircraft models used by United on the Tel Aviv route. No flights have been canceled or denied thus far due to this restriction.

The decision highlights heightened security awareness for aircrews arriving in Israel, especially after the attempted hijacking incident. The Ministry of Transport emphasized that preventing a pilot from operating a flight to Israel is distinct from border control's authority to permit or deny physical entry into the country. Procedures for approving foreign aircrews are under review as a lesson from the attempted hijacking.