United Airlines grounds captain again over comments on October 7 attack

United Airlines has grounded Captain Ibrahim R. Mossallam for making controversial comments about the October 7 terror attack in Israel, Paddley Too and PYOK both reported. The Chicago-based carrier removed the pilot from flying duty following renewed public attention on his past statements. Paddley Too reported that this marks the second time in three years that the airline has grounded Mossallam over his remarks. [1][7]

The decision follows heightened scrutiny across the airline industry in the wake of a foiled attack aboard a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, according to Paddley Too. In that earlier incident, First Officer Hamam al-Hammami attacked his captain during flight FZ-1073, causing an 18,000-foot dive before crew and passengers subdued him, as FTMQ Travel reported earlier. [1][9][11]

In a separate development concerning the flydubai security investigation, two more co-pilots have been detained in the United Arab Emirates, View from the Wing reported. Both individuals are Maldivian nationals who worked alongside the accused attacker and shared a residential building with him. [2]