United Pilots Reportedly Gave Up First Class To Monitor Behavior Of Colleague Who Praised October 7 Attack

Two United Airlines pilots reportedly gave up their first class seats and spent an entire flight in the cockpit because they didn’t trust the pilot operating it, Ibrahim Mossallam, who had praised the October 7 terrorist attack and returned to flying after United removed him from service. According to reporter Libby Blanca, the two pilots were deadheading and the United pilots union got first class work travel as a concession during the pandemic. The two crewmembers traveling to a duty assignment wanted to watch Mossallam throughout the flight. She also reports that United wanted to fire Mossallam, but the pilots’ union blocked the move. Alon attributes this to sources familiar with the incident. Yesterday I wrote about Mossallam continuing to fly passengers nearly three years after celebrating the massacre of civilians. Now we’re learning that his own colleagues weren’t comfortable with him in the cockpit. EXCLUSIVE: Two United Airlines pilots deadheading on a flight operated by Ibrahim Mossallam after his return from a leave of absence reportedly gave up their first-class seats and spent the entire flight in the cockpit instead. Why? According to sources familiar with the incident, they did not trust him and wanted to keep a close eye on him throughout the flight. Sources also say United wanted to terminate Mossallam’s employment, but the pilots’ union blocked the move. — Libby Blanca Alon October 6, 2026 I Asked How Other Pilots Would Feel About Him Back In 2023 I first covered Mossallam’s posts in November 2023. He described the October 7 attack as “resistance by brave people.” United confirmed on November 20 that they’d removed him from service with pay while investigating. By December, they wouldn’t say whether he was back in the cockpit. At the time, I wrote: I would think that many other union pilots at United wouldn’t want to work beside him, either. Alon’s account describes two colleagues taking that concern far enough to give up their seats and watch him for the whole flight. DansDeals updated yesterday to say Mossallam continues flying Boeing 757s and 767s. The June 30, 2025 court order I linked yesterday recounts flight attendant Ruben Sanchez’s allegation that Mossallam returned to flying after approximately one month. The Pilots Union Claims To Prioritize Safety If the union successfully opposed firing Mossallam, it should explain the basis for its position and admit that its primary concern is the self interests of its members even when that diverges from safety (as it soon will once machine intelligence outperforms a human first officer). I don’t need to inquire into a pilot’s political views, but a pilot praising an attack on civilians shouldn’t be trusted at the controls of an aircraft with up to 231 souls on board and the potential to aim it like a missile at a target like flydubai pilot Hamam al-Hammami attempted to do. Topics on this page