TEL AVIV/NEW DELHI: World leaders have hailed the bravery and timeliness of the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar as he averted a major crash of the FlyDubai Flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. His courage, bravery and swift action that saved hundreds of lives has been applauded by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Trump.
The Indian pilot was seriously injured in a cockpit confrontation aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 as the Omani national pilot suddenly stabbed the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar. The incident also led to the emergency take-off of Boeing 737 as a rapid descent, before passengers and crew intervened and the aircraft was safely diverted to Saudi Arabia.
Captain Smit Machchhar, identified as the pilot in command, was seriously injured during the incident but reportedly managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and other crew members to intervene. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, subsequently landed safely at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
PM Modi hails Indian pilot as “hero” for averting tragedy & saving lives
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 30, Thursday described Captain Machchhar as a “hero”, saying the pilot displayed courage despite being seriously injured. “His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy. India is proud of Captain Machchhar”, PM Modi said in a post on X, while wishing him a speedy recovery.
Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO.
In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others.
His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.
India is proud of…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 1, 2026
President Murmu lauds the presence of mind of the Indian pilot
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu has also hailed the bravery, courage and presence of mind of Captain Smit Machchhar. “The nation is proud of Captain Smit Machchhar. His heroic courage and incredible presence of mind have deeply touched us all. Even after being seriously injured in a moment of grave peril, he remained determined to protect the lives of others. His bravery and quick response helped prevent a major tragedy and saved many precious lives. I salute his indomitable spirit. I pray for his speedy recovery and good health”, the President wrote.
The nation is proud of Captain Smit Machchhar. His heroic courage and incredible presence of mind have deeply touched us all.
Even after being seriously injured in a moment of grave peril, he remained determined to protect the lives of others. His bravery and quick response…
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 1, 2026
Netanyahu applauds “extraordinary bravery”; Thanks for saving Israeli citizens
Israel PM Netanyahu also praised the Indian pilot Machchhar, saying that the Indian captain’s actions helped prevent a catastrophic outcome. “My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery”, Netanyahu said, adding that Machchhar had fought back despite being seriously injured and helped passengers and crew overpower the attacker.
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals. I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery. He is a true hero”, Netanyahu further stated.
My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery.
Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 30, 2026
President Trump calls Indian pilot a “hero”
US President Donald Trump also praised Machchhar, describing him as a hero while recounting information he said had been shared with him by Netanyahu. Trump said that despite being badly injured, pilot managed to open the cockpit door and call for help. The US President also called the co-pilot as, “perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job”.
Trump praises Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, calling him a HERO ! 👏 pic.twitter.com/WzXEYIYYoG
— M9 USA🇺🇸 (@M9USA_) October 1, 2026
RSS hails Smit Machchhar’s “exceptional courage”
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has also hailed the exceptional courage of the Indian pilot. “Salute to Captain Smit Machchhar for his exceptional courage. His actions went beyond the call of duty, helping protect 170+ lives. He is a real HERO and the entire country is proud of him for his bravery and timely action. Wishing him speedy and total recovery”, said Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh of the RSS.
What happened aboard Dubai-Tel Aviv flight?
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on September 30 when the incident occurred. According to Israeli officials, Omani pilot attacked the Indian pilot, stabbed him and the aircraft subsequently entered a rapid descent. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft dropping by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before stabilising.
The aircraft transmitted emergency signals while travelling towards Israel. The flight was first transmitting the general emergency code 7700, followed by 7500, which indicates possible unlawful interference, before another emergency signal was transmitted. Israeli officials initially treated the situation as a possible hijacking, but the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office subsequently said the incident was not believed to have been a conventional hijacking.
The aircraft diverted towards Saudi Arabia and landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk. Airport authorities said the emergency landing took place at about 9:45AM local time after a distress call was received at approximately 8:44AM. Both pilots were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar’s courageous act
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Machchhar continued to act despite being seriously wounded. According to PMNetanyahu, Machchhar was bleeding heavily but managed to release the cockpit door. This allowed passengers and other crew members to enter and overpower the other pilot. Additional flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers helped to secure the aircraft and land it safely in Tabuk.
Machchhar is an Indian national from Mumbai with extensive experience flying Boeing 737 aircraft. According to his professional profile, he has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and had accumulated roughly 9,500–9,750 hours of flying experience. He spent more than 11 years with Indian carrier SpiceJet before joining flydubai in June 2022 as a captain.
His experience includes flying the Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX variants. At SpiceJet, he served as a senior commander and Line Training Captain, with responsibilities including pilot training, assessment and mentoring.
Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah have been following the health condition of Mr Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of Flydubai flight that was diverted to Tabuk today. He is admitted in a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia and receiving necessary…
— India in Saudi Arabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) September 30, 2026
Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia said Machchhar was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Tabuk and that they were in contact with his family and Saudi authorities. The Indian embassy said he was reported to be stable.
After the emergency landing, the passengers remained in Tabuk while arrangements were made for them to continue their journey. Saudi airport authorities later confirmed that all passengers departed for their final destination aboard a replacement aircraft.
