UNITED AIRLINES MUST FIRE PILOT IBRAHIM R. MOSSALLAM

Passengers deserve accountability. Hate and the justification of violence have no place in the cockpit.

To the CEO and leadership of United Airlines:

We, the undersigned, call upon United Airlines to terminate the employment of pilot Ibrahim R. Mossallam based on his documented public statements concerning the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

On October 7, as Hamas terrorists attacked communities in southern Israel, murdering civilians and taking hostages, Mossallam published a Facebook post describing what was occurring as “a resistance by a brave people” and stating that it was “not an unprovoked attack.”

These are not words being attributed to him through rumor or anonymous social-media accounts. His statements were publicly reported, and United subsequently confirmed that Mossallam had been removed from service with pay while the company investigated the matter.

A June 30, 2025 federal court order in an unrelated employment case later recounted an allegation that Mossallam returned to flying approximately one month after being suspended. While that court order was not adjudicating Mossallam’s conduct, it raises an obvious question that United Airlines should answer publicly:

Why was a pilot who made these statements following the October 7 massacre permitted to return to the cockpit?

This petition is not about suppressing political disagreement.

Airline employees are entitled to personal political opinions. But passengers are equally entitled to judge an airline by the conduct it tolerates from employees entrusted with extraordinary responsibility for their safety.

A commercial airline pilot occupies a position of exceptional trust. Every passenger who boards an aircraft places his or her life in the hands of the flight crew.

Jewish passengers deserve that confidence.

Israeli passengers deserve that confidence.

Every passenger deserves that confidence.

When a pilot publicly characterizes the events of October 7 as the resistance of a “brave people,” passengers have every right to question whether those statements are compatible with the standards expected of someone occupying such a position of trust.

WE CALL UPON UNITED AIRLINES TO:

• Terminate Ibrahim R. Mossallam’s employment as a United Airlines pilot.
• Publicly disclose the outcome of United’s investigation into his October 7 statements, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
• Explain why he was permitted to return to flying following his removal from service, if United confirms that he did return.
• Clearly state United’s standards concerning employees who publicly justify, celebrate, or excuse terrorism or violence against civilians.
• Reaffirm that antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, racism, religious discrimination, and the glorification of violence against civilians have no place at United Airlines.

 United Airlines is free to make its employment decisions.

Consumers are equally free to make theirs.

Until United provides meaningful accountability regarding this matter, we call upon passengers who share these concerns to boycott United Airlines and choose another carrier whenever reasonably possible.

This isn’t about left versus right.

It isn’t about whether someone supports Israel or opposes a particular Israeli government policy.

It is about where an airline draws the line when an employee entrusted with hundreds of lives publicly describes the perpetrators of a mass attack on civilians as a “brave people” engaged in “resistance.”

United asks passengers for their money.

More importantly, it asks passengers for their trust.

United Airlines must decide whether that trust matters.

SIGN THE PETITION

Demand accountability.
Demand answers.
Until then: Don’t Fly United.