Trump thanks man who helped save Flydubai flight: 'What a job he did, he's a hero'
The Hill · C · trust 28/100
Comments: by Sarah Davis - 10/03/26 11:19 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 10/03/26 11:19 AM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING President Trump on Friday morning thanked the Israeli plumber, Yaniv Hayoun, who intervened after a pilot stabbed his co-pilot and attempted to crash a Flydubai flight this week.
In a video message shared on Truth Social, the president praised Hayoun, saying he “did an amazing job.”
“He’s my kind of guy,” he continued. “He can be my plumber. He can be whatever he wants to be. What a job he did. He’s a hero, and I want to just congratulate him and his family.”
Hayoun worked with three other passengers to subdue the pilot before he took control of the jet’s steering controls to stabilize the aircraft, which had descended into free fall during the attack.
The plumber, who had no formal flight training, said he relied on his knowledge from watching “Air Crash Investigation,” a TV series that presents dramatized reconstructions of real air disasters.
On Thursday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced he was nominating Hayoun and three other passengers involved in the intervention effort for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.
“Everyone who was there in those moments, the passengers and the crew, mobilized, acted with courage, supported one another in mutual responsibility, and helped prevent a severe disaster,” Herzog wrote in a social media post translated from Hebrew.
The flight, which was en route to Tel Aviv, was diverted for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a second air crew aboard the plane took over the controls.
Indian Airline Capt. Smit Machchhar was taken to the hospital for treatment to receive medical attention for stab wounds he sustained during the attack. His co-pilot was arrested and interrogated by Saudi authorities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Trump noted in his Friday video message that Hayoun was “a Trump fan,” referencing the plumber’s message of support for the U.S. president during a conversation with Netanyahu after the incident.
“I’m a fan of his. A big fan,” Trump said in the clip.
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