The Vueling Airliines captain who ordered 50 French Jewish children removed from a Vueling flight in Spain turns out to have an astonishing—and chilling—past: Iván Chirivella trained the lead 9/11 hijackers. Now, two decades later, he’s accused of targeting Jews, expelling 50 from the plane and getting a female counselor beaten up and detained.
An ordinary summer flight turned into a global outrage this week after Vueling Airlines expelled 50 French Jewish children from a plane in Valencia, Spain. The incident has sparked charges of blatant antisemitism—and now, shockingly, it’s been confirmed that the pilot who ordered their removal, Captain Iván Chirivella, was once a flight instructor to 9/11 terrorists Mohamed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi.
The children, aged 10 to 15, were returning to Paris after a Jewish summer camp. According to multiple eyewitnesses, they began singing Hebrew songs while boarding the flight. Though spirited, they stopped when asked. Moments later, cabin crew summoned the Spanish police. Officers boarded the aircraft and forcibly removed the entire group, arresting their 21-year-old counselor in front of the children and other passengers.
Videos of the arrest quickly spread across social media, drawing condemnation from Israeli and French officials, Jewish organizations, and human rights advocates. But the story became explosive when Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli publicly identified the captain as the same Iván Chirivella who trained key perpetrators of the September 11 attacks during his time in Florida.
From Terror Instructor to Airline Captain
According to records and resurfaced interviews, Iván Chirivella worked at the Jones Aviation Academy in Sarasota, Florida in 2000. There, he gave flight instruction to both Mohamed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi—the al-Qaeda operatives who piloted American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 into the Twin Towers.
Chirivella previously recounted how Atta was “cold,” “hostile,” and uninterested in theoretical instruction, focusing exclusively on basic maneuvers. He once joked about crashing into a building during a lesson—only to be met with a chilling glare from Atta. Chirivella eventually expelled both men from the program due to poor attitude and weak communication, but not before giving them critical hours of flight experience.
Following the September 11 attacks, Chirivella was questioned by the FBI and placed under surveillance. He later returned to Spain and quietly resumed his aviation career. Until now, his past had faded from public view.
Now, two decades later, the man who once helped future jihadists learn to fly stands accused of targeting Jewish children for being visibly Jewish.
Vueling’s Response: Lies and Evasion
Vueling Airlines initially released a statement claiming the children were “highly disruptive” and accused them of “interfering with the safety demonstration” and “manipulating safety equipment.” The airline insisted that the call to remove the group was based on “safety concerns” and not religious or ethnic identity.
But passenger testimonies directly contradict these claims.
“They were noisy, yes, but not threatening or violent,” said one adult seated a few rows away from the group. “It felt like a normal group of kids after camp. They stopped singing when asked. That should have been the end of it.”
Another passenger told El País: “There was no danger. The children didn’t touch anything. This wasn’t about security—it was about their identity.”
None of the accusations made by Vueling have been supported by video evidence, physical damage reports, or charges. The arrested counselor was released shortly afterward. The children were later rebooked and flown home from Valencia without further incident.
“If they truly posed a threat, why were they allowed to fly the next day?” asked Rabbi Elie Abecassis, whose nephew was among the expelled group. “The answer is simple: they were punished not for their actions, but for being Jewish.”
Chirivella’s Return to the Spotlight
The revelation of Chirivella’s past involvement with 9/11 hijackers has added a chilling undertone to the incident.
“This is not just another case of airline overreach,” said former IDF officer and columnist Caroline Glick. “This is a man who enabled the deadliest terrorist attack in modern history. That he now uses his authority to expel Jewish children from a plane should terrify us all.”
Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli echoed that sentiment. “Reality surpasses imagination. The same man who trained Atta is now the one calling police on Jewish minors for singing in Hebrew. It’s a pattern—not a coincidence.”
Calls are mounting for Vueling to suspend Chirivella immediately pending investigation. Critics question how someone with his background was ever permitted to resume commercial flight duties in the first place.
Airline Antisemitism in 2025: A Growing Crisis
The incident comes at a time of rising antisemitism in Europe. According to recent EU data, antisemitic incidents—including harassment, vandalism, and institutional discrimination—have surged 34% over the past year, with France, Spain, and the UK seeing the largest spikes.
“This event didn’t happen in a vacuum,” said Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association. “It reflects a growing tolerance of anti-Jewish sentiment within European institutions—including law enforcement and corporate leadership.”
Vueling’s initial statement did not acknowledge the group’s identity or the passengers’ testimonies. Instead, it doubled down on vague allegations about safety, even as video evidence and firsthand accounts undercut their story.
“What we’re witnessing,” said French-Jewish activist Ari Goldwasser, “is a case study in how antisemitism hides behind bureaucracy.”
Children Traumatized, Families Demand Justice
For the parents of the children involved, the incident has been more than offensive—it has been emotionally scarring.
“My daughter asked me why the police hate her,” said Karine Lamy, a Parisian mother whose 12-year-old was among those removed. “What do you tell a child when they’re treated like a criminal for singing in Hebrew?”
Legal actions are already being explored by Jewish advocacy groups in France and Israel, including potential lawsuits against Vueling for defamation, religious discrimination, and psychological trauma inflicted on minors.
What Now?
Vueling has refused to answer whether it was aware of Chirivella’s past. No apology has been issued. No internal review has been announced.
A growing number of voices are calling for a full investigation, transparency from Vueling, and the removal of Chirivella from duty.
“This is not about a single flight or one man,” said Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum. “This is about whether Jews can travel safely and proudly in Europe. Right now, the answer from Vueling is no.”
Conclusion
What began as an ordinary return trip from a Jewish summer camp has become a chilling case of injustice. A group of innocent children was humiliated and traumatized—not for anything they did, but for who they are. That the man behind it once trained the very terrorists who launched the 9/11 attacks makes this more than just a scandal. It’s a warning.
Vueling Airlines now finds itself at the center of a moral crisis. The world is watching to see if it will defend prejudice or take action against it.
If there is any decency left in Europe’s skies, Captain Iván Chirivella must never command a commercial aircraft again.
We have gone back in history, to the 1930s, and Nazi hate is alive and well! Only more proof the return of Yeshua is very near! May Yhvh God have mercy on his soul, I’m not sure I can..