Liz Claman reports on an Israel-bound flight from Dubai that made an emergency landing after a co-pilot stabbed the pilot in the air. The passengers subdued the attacker and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls it an attempted terrorist attack. President Donald Trump praised Boeing and its 737 MAX after a FlyDubai plane survived a dramatic plunge during an apparent attempt to crash the Israel-bound plane with more than 170 people on board. Trump congratulated the American aerospace giant on Thursday, highlighting the plane’s ability to withstand the extreme forces it encountered during the mid-air emergency. “Congratulations to the GREAT Boeing Company for producing an airplane, the 737 Max, that was able to withstand G-forces and stresses far beyond what it was designed and expected to do,” Trump wrote in Truth Social. “This was an amazing display of precise and powerful planning and structural design. It’s about time The Boeing Company, which builds by far the best commercial airplanes in the sky, was given credit for the incredible ‘genius’ of this airplane. To Kelly Ortberg and all of your management and associates at Boeing, congratulations on a job well done!!!” TRADE EXPERT REVEALS WHAT THE $30 BILLION TRUMP-XI DEAL MEANS AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES President Donald Trump looks on during the signing of a security pact between the United States, Denmark and Greenland during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters on September 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 on 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 September 30, 2026. The flight, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a violent altercation (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 plane. The injured captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker before reserve crew members on board the flight took control and landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Passengers have been praised for intervening when the plane rapidly lost altitude. Ticker Security Last change Change % BA THE BOEING CO. 186.68 +0.59 +0.32% All passengers were safe and accounted for after the emergency landing. Both pilots were hospitalized after suffering injuries, according to Tabuk airport officials. A FlyDubai replacement aircraft lands at Ben Gurion Airport. The flight, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after a violent altercation in the cabin. (Gil Cohen-Magen/Picture Alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images) FlyDubai has said the underlying reasons for the incident remain unknown and warned against “premature speculation.” The United Arab Emirates launched an investigation on Thursday to determine the circumstances and motives, including whether the incident was related to terrorist activity or involved prior planning or direction. Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the flight’s captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, for his actions during the emergency. profusely. Reuters contributed to this report.
