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Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073, has received widespread praise after helping prevent a major mid-air disaster despite suffering serious injuries during an alleged attack inside the cockpit.

 

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Machchhar was safe and receiving medical treatment. He praised the captain’s courage and said his actions had saved many lives, adding that the nation stood with him and his family and was praying for his speedy recovery.

 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also commended Machchhar’s presence of mind under extreme danger. Jaishankar said the pilot’s courage had helped save hundreds of lives and avert a major tragedy.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Machchhar as a “HERO”, saying the captain’s resolve to protect others, even after being seriously injured, had saved hundreds of lives. Modi also wished him renewed strength and a speedy recovery.

 

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami were among those who paid tribute to the pilot. Adhikari said Machchhar’s bravery reflected the Indian values of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, or the world is one family, and the duty to place the safety of innocent people above one’s own.

 

Adhikari said the captain was stabbed and grievously wounded inside the cockpit while the aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Despite his injuries, Machchhar fought back, overpowered the attacker and helped prevent a catastrophic incident. He said the captain’s actions protected the 174 passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft, including citizens of Israel and other countries.

 

Dhami said Machchhar had demonstrated exceptional courage and an unwavering commitment to duty by putting the safety of others before his own. He described the captain’s actions as a source of pride and inspiration for the country and prayed for his recovery and good health.

 

The incident occurred while Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot, who stabbed him and attempted to take control of the aircraft. Despite being wounded, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and intervene.

 

The aircraft later diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely. Flydubai confirmed that an altercation had taken place in the flight deck and said the aircraft was secured by on-duty crew members travelling on the flight, who diverted it and completed a safe landing. The passengers were subsequently flown to Tel Aviv on another aircraft.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar’s “unbelievable courage” and said the captain was badly wounded and bleeding heavily after the attack. According to Netanyahu, Machchhar opened the cockpit door while the aircraft was entering a nosedive, enabling passengers and other crew members to intervene.

 

Netanyahu said Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun rushed towards the cockpit, pulled the attacking pilot away from the controls and helped stabilise the aircraft. Other passengers and crew members then restrained the attacker. Netanyahu described the combined actions of Machchhar, Hayoun and the others as an extraordinary act of heroism that prevented a disaster with potentially global consequences.

 

Netanyahu also said the incident had a personal resonance for him because of his family’s history involving terrorism and hostage-rescue operations. His elder brother, Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, was killed during the 1976 Entebbe rescue operation.

 

Passengers later described severe turbulence during the confrontation. Almog Italie said the aircraft dropped sharply for 20 to 30 seconds, levelled out and then descended again for around 10 seconds before stabilising. He also recalled seeing a disturbance at the front of the aircraft.

 

The aircraft is reported to have plunged approximately 17,000 feet in less than two minutes during the incident. Passengers who entered the cockpit subdued the attacker and assisted in regaining control of the aircraft.

 

Hayoun said he saw the attacker at the controls and pulled him away before using the aircraft’s controls to help level the plane. Shota Musayev, an Israeli dentist and the only doctor aboard, rushed to the cockpit after hearing screams and provided emergency medical assistance to Machchhar.

 

Musayev said the captain was in very serious condition and had suffered heavy bleeding, particularly from the head. He managed to stop the bleeding and stabilise Machchhar’s blood pressure.

 

The Indian Embassy in France also honoured Machchhar’s extraordinary courage, saying he fought back after being stabbed, opened the cockpit door and helped passengers and crew members subdue the attacker. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called him a hero and said his actions, together with those of Israeli passengers and Emirati crew members, helped save 174 lives.

 

Machchhar is a seasoned pilot serving as a direct-entry captain with UAE-based Flydubai. He has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and approximately 9,750 total flying hours, mainly on Boeing 737 aircraft. Before joining Flydubai, he spent 11 years with SpiceJet, where he worked as a Line Training Captain.

 

Flydubai will temporarily suspend flights to and from Israel while an investigation into Wednesday’s mid-air incident is under way, an airline spokesperson said.