Trump praises Boeing 737 MAX after jet survives dramatic plunge during apparent attack

October 1, 2026:

Trump praises Boeing 737 MAX after jet survives dramatic plunge during apparent attack

Liz Claman reports on an Israel-bound flight from Dubai that made an emergency landing after a co-pilot stabbed the pilot midair. Passengers subdued the attacker and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls it an attempted terror attack.

President Donald Trump praised Boeing and its 737 MAX after a FlyDubai jet survived a dramatic plunge during an apparent attempt to crash the Israel-bound aircraft with more than 170 people aboard.

Trump congratulated the U.S. aerospace giant Thursday, singling out the aircraft’s ability to withstand the extreme forces it encountered during the midair emergency.

“Congratulations to the GREAT Boeing Company for producing a plane, the 737 Max, that was able to withstand G Forces and Strain far beyond what it was designed and expected to do,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“It was an amazing show of precise and powerful structural planning and design. It is about time that The Boeing Company, which builds, by far, the finest commercial airliners in the sky, was given credit for this airplane’s incredible ‘genius!’ To Kelly Ortberg, and all of his officers and associates at Boeing, congratulations on a job well done!!!”

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President Donald Trump Attends United Nations General Assembly In New York

President Donald Trump looks on during the signing of a security pact between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters on Sept. 22, 2026, in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Trump’s praise came after FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds Wednesday as a violent attack unfolded in the cockpit.

Passengers leave the domestic arrivals terminal after landing on a FlyDubai repatriation flight at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Sept. 30, 2026. The flight, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a violent altercat (Gil Cohen-Magen/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Israeli officials said the co-pilot attacked the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft. The wounded captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker before reserve crew members aboard the flight took control and landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Passengers have been praised for intervening as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
BA	THE BOEING CO.	186.70	+0.61	+0.33%

All passengers were safe and accounted for following the emergency landing. Both pilots were hospitalized after sustaining injuries, according to Tabuk airport officials.

A replacement FlyDubai plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport. The flight, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a violent altercation in the cockpit. (Gil Cohen-Magen/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)

FlyDubai has said the underlying reasons for the incident remain unknown and cautioned against “premature speculation.” The United Arab Emirates launched an investigation Thursday to determine the circumstances and motives, including whether the incident was connected to terrorist activity or involved prior planning or direction.

Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have praised the flight’s captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, for his actions during the emergency.

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Netanyahu told Fox News that Machchhar had apparently been stabbed or struck with an axe by the other pilot and had bled profusely.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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