Mostafa Ezzo, an Air Canada pilot was taken out of service by the airline after his Instagram followers complained to the company about a plethora of controversial statements he had made about Israel, amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Air Canada released an official statement confirming that they had grounded the pilot on October 9.
The pilot was also seen posting pictures of himself wearing pro-Palestine colors along with his pilot uniform, while still on duty. Even though Ezzo is grounded, he still remains an Air Canada employee. The pilot's social media accounts have now been taken down.
Mostafa Ezzo taken out of service for controversial posts
Air Canada pilot Mostafa Ezzo was a First Officer and he used to fly the Airline's B787 flight based in Montreal. He found himself in hot water when those who followed him on Instagram raised concerns about his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. The posts were shared through his official Instagram ID, @mostafa.ezzo.7.
Mostafa Ezzo posted multiple stories on Instagram against Israel. He reposted the Palestine youth movement's Instagram post about the October 8 Montreal All Out for Palestine protest along with Palestine flags and a Free Palestine sticker.
Apart from this he also posted a story of himself wearing a pro-Palestine keffiyeh while still in his Air Canada uniform. Further stories revealed that he attended a pro-Palestine rally and shared slogans from the same. He posted a picture of himself holding a board with an Israel flag in the trashcan with text that read, "Keep the world clean."
Another slogan he posted showcased a protestor holding out a board that called Israel a "Terrorist State." In bold capital letters, the main slogan on the board read, "Israel Hitler is proud of you."
His Instagram account has since been removed from the platform.
As followers began to take note of Mostafa Ezzo's posts, they took to social media in huge numbers to alert the Canadian airline about the activities of their pilot. Many people called for him to be removed and stated that they did not feel safe flying with the airline if Ezzo could be their captain.
After receiving an onslaught of complaints, Air Canada was quick to take action against Mostafa Ezzo. One of the main reasons he was grounded was the pictures of him wearing Palestinian colors along with his uniform.
Peter Fitzpatrick, an Air Canada spokesperson told the Toronto Sun:
"We did this because this individual’s opinions and publications on social media do not represent Air Canada’s views in any way."
He added:
"This person has never been authorized to speak publicly while identifying themselves as an Air Canada employee."
On October 11, the airline shared a tweet confirming that the pilot had been taken out of service on October 9. The airline also stated that the matter was being taken "very seriously" and that they "firmly denounce violence in all forms."