Trump Hails Boeing's 737 MAX Design After Dramatic Mid-Flight Incident
US President Donald Trump has praised Boeing's design of the 737 MAX aircraft after a dramatic mid-flight incident in which a FlyDubai jet survived an attack by its co-pilot. The plane, a 737 MAX 8, made a safe landing in Saudi Arabia despite suffering severe forces during the attack.
The incident occurred on October 1, 2026, when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar while nearly 200 people were aboard. Despite the damage to the rudder and intense G-forces that could have torn off part of it, the plane remained controllable and landed safely.
Trump praised the aircraft's design, saying it was an 'amazing show of precise and powerful structural planning and design.' This marks a notable shift in Trump's view of the 737 MAX, as he previously criticized the aircraft as 'unattractive, fat, and slow.'