Trump thanks man who helped save Flydubai flight: ‘What a job he did, he’s a hero’
President Donald Trump publicly thanked Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli plumber who helped subdue a pilot who stabbed his co-pilot and attempted to crash a Flydubai flight earlier this week. In a Truth Social video posted Friday morning, Trump called Hayoun a hero and praised his actions during the midair incident.
Why It Matters
A high-profile presidential endorsement highlights international attention on the Foothold incident aboard the Flydubai flight and spotlights a passenger's intervention that authorities say helped prevent further harm. The comment also illustrates how a security incident in civil aviation can become part of broader political and media narratives.
Key Facts
- Person thanked: Yaniv Hayoun
- Role of person: Israeli plumber and passenger on the flight
- Airline involved: Flydubai
- Incident: Pilot stabbed co-pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft
- Trump's platform: Truth Social
President Donald Trump on Friday publicly commended Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli passenger who intervened after an in-flight attack on a Flydubai aircraft earlier this week. In a video message posted to Truth Social, Trump praised Hayoun’s actions, calling him a hero and saying he “did an amazing job.”
According to reporting about the incident, the flight’s pilot stabbed the co-pilot and then attempted to crash the plane; fellow passengers and crew, including Hayoun, intervened. Authorities and airline officials have described the passengers’ actions as instrumental in preventing further harm, though details of official investigations and legal processes are ongoing.
Trump’s remarks amplify attention on the flight and on Hayoun’s role, which has been widely covered in international media. The president characterized Hayoun as “his kind of guy” in the Truth Social post, expressing strong personal praise for the passenger’s conduct during the emergency.
Officials investigating the incident and the airline have continued to review what occurred onboard and the sequence of events that followed the attack. Media coverage has focused both on the immediate actions that stopped the escalation and on subsequent inquiries into security, crew conduct, and aviation safety procedures.
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