LAS VEGAS — The CEO and president of JetBlue said today that the plane captain who ranted about a bomb on a flight to Las Vegas is a “consummate professional” who he has personally known for years.

In an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer, who identified the captain as Clayton Osbon, JetBlue’s Dave Barger said there is nothing in the captain’s record to indicate he could be a risk.

The captain’s co-workers on the Tuesday flight from New York tried to calm him as he ran through the cabin screaming about Iraq, Afghanistan and al-Qaida. The co-pilot locked him out of the cockpit and passengers restrained him.

The flight was diverted to Amarillo, Texas.

Barger says it was “a tough situation at altitude” and that the customers and crew “just did a great job.”