California-based pilot sparks security fears after pro-terrorist posts

Key Points:

• United Airlines pilot Sina Amjadian, based in Los Angeles, has been barred from entering Israel after expressing support for Iran and the terrorist group Hezbollah on social media, including sharing images of Iran’s supreme leader and symbols of the Iranian regime.
• Israel’s Transportation Ministry informed United Airlines of the ban following a review by intelligence and defense agencies, citing security concerns related to Amjadian’s public sympathies.
• Amjadian has been on leave from United Airlines since 2024 and primarily flies domestic routes within the US and Canada, with no current international flights to Israel.
• The ban follows heightened Israeli security measures after a recent attempted terrorist attack by a flydubai co-pilot on a flight to Tel Aviv, prompting airlines to restrict crew members from certain nationalities on routes to Israel.
• United Airlines has issued internal warnings to employees, prohibiting crew members from 29 nationalities, including Oman and Iraq, from working on flights to Israel as part of increased security protocols.