Trump Praises Israeli Plumber Who Thwarted Hijacking

U.S. President Donald Trump posted a special video on TikTok on October 3rd, thanking Yaniv Haion, an Israeli plumber and passenger who helped neutralize a pilot attempting to hijack a Flydubai flight. Trump called Haion a "hero" and a "big fan" of his, stating, "He did an amazing job." The president noted that Haion learned to fly a plane by watching "Air Crash Investigation" on television and joked that Haion could be his personal plumber. Trump also congratulated Haion and his family.

Haion, a 38-year-old plumber from Ness Ziona, was on board Flydubai flight FZ1073 when the Omani pilot, Hammam al-Khamami, attempted to seize control of the aircraft and crash it in Israel. Haion was the first to subdue the hijacker and stabilize the plane when it began to lose altitude. He explained that his knowledge from aviation investigation shows helped him bring the plane out of a dive after the co-pilot tried to disable the instrument panel.

Haion responded to Trump's praise, calling himself an "advanced plumber" and acknowledging Trump's humor. He stated, "I couldn't even dream that Trump would talk about me and pay attention to what I did." Haion confirmed that he, along with other Israeli passengers, including Tzvika Manes, Assaf Rajuan, and dentist Dr. Shota Musaev, managed to neutralize the hijacker and remove him from the cockpit using a rear-naked chokehold. Dr. Musaev also provided aid to the aircraft's captain, who had sustained a knife wound.

Earlier, on October 1st, Trump had mentioned Haion, describing him as an Israeli plumber with little flying experience who "stepped up and was strong." On October 2nd, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with Haion, presenting him with a signed MAGA hat from Trump and thanking him on behalf of the President and the American people. Huckabee called it an honor to thank Haion for his courage in saving the flight.