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United Airlines Suspends Pilot for Praising Oct. 7 Hamas Attack
United Airlines has suspended pilot Ibrahim Musallam, also identified as Ibrahim R. Mossallam, for a second time after he posted social media messages praising the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel. Musallam had previously been suspended in November 2023 for calling the attack "resistance by a brave people," but he was later reinstated to active duty, reportedly following intervention by a pilots' union.
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What happened
- 01United Airlines suspended pilot Ibrahim Musallam for a second time after he posted social media praise for the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
- 02Musallam was first suspended in November 2023 but was reinstated to active duty, reportedly due to pilots' union intervention.
- 03Other United Airlines pilots raised safety concerns and actively avoided flying with Musallam before his second suspension.
- 04The suspension follows a September 30 incident where an Omani co-pilot attempted to crash a Flydubai flight bound for Israel.
- 05Israeli passengers and the captain thwarted the Flydubai co-pilot, who allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency axe.
- 06An internal security document reveals that the Ministry of Transportation, led by Miri Regev, is responsible for vetting foreign flight crews entering Israel.
The decision to suspend Musallam again came after other United Airlines pilots expressed safety concerns and avoided flying with him. The airline confirmed that he is not currently scheduled for flights pending an investigation. The renewed scrutiny coincides with heightened aviation security concerns following a recent incident on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel.
On September 30, a Flydubai co-pilot, identified as Omani citizen Hamaam Al-Hamami or Maim Al-Maimi, allegedly attempted to crash a flight to Israel by attacking the captain with an emergency axe. The attack was thwarted by the captain and Israeli passengers. An internal security document recently revealed that the Ministry of Transportation, led by Minister Miri Regev, is legally responsible for vetting foreign flight crews and ensuring no crew members are citizens of countries without diplomatic ties to Israel.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
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United Airlines Suspends Pilot for Praising Oct. 7 Hamas Attack