Israel Bans United Airlines Pilot Over Alleged Support for Iran and Hezbollah

Israel's Transportation Ministry has informed United Airlines that pilot Sina Amjadian, who is of Iranian descent, will not be permitted to enter Israeli airspace following allegations that he expressed support for the Iranian regime, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Hezbollah, according to a report published Wednesday by Israel's N12 news website.

The decision followed information provided by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, which had launched a monitoring initiative following a serious incident involving a Flydubai flight. The ministry stated that the findings required "a professional security review, given the pilot's sensitive role at an international airline."

Following the request, the Transportation Ministry referred the information to the Mossad and Unit 760 for further examination. According to the report, the review resulted in a recommendation that Amjadian not be permitted to enter Israel as a member of a flight crew.

"The recommendation of the professional authorities was clear: not to allow his arrival in Israel as a member of an air crew," the report stated.

It added: "In accordance with the security recommendation, an official notice was sent to United Airlines regarding the decision that the pilot is absolutely prohibited from entering the airspace of the State of Israel."

United Airlines, which operates two daily flights to Israel, confirmed in writing that it had received the directive. However, the airline clarified that Amjadian, who has worked for United since November 2022, is not certified to operate wide-body aircraft and currently flies only domestic routes within the United States and flights to Canada.

Nevertheless, Israeli authorities sought to ensure that he could not be assigned to any future flight to Israel. According to the report, efforts are also underway to identify other pilots who may pose potential security concerns.

The allegations against Amjadian reportedly originated from two posts on X, rather than statements published directly by the pilot. The posts also claimed that he had previously worked for Flydubai and apparently lived in Dubai.

One post alleged that he had shared a video featuring a song praising Iran's missile attack on Tel Aviv. It further stated: "In my opinion, he also expressed support for the Hamas terror attack on October 7."

The claims regarding the pilot's views have not been independently verified, and the report did not include a response from Amjadian.