PM Narendra Modi on October 1 hailed Captain Smit Machchhar, Bharatiya pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073, as a “hero” for his courage in protecting passengers after he was seriously injured during a mid-air attack aboard an Israel-bound flight, saying his valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a major tragedy. In a post shared on X, PM Modi said, “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 Captain Machchhar. Praying for his speedy recovery, renewed strength and good health,” he added.
The incident took place aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight when Captain Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, who attempted to crash the aircraft in Israel in 9/11 style on September 30.
Remarkable Presence of Mind
Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and a relief crew to intervene and overpower the attacker. The aircraft was subsequently diverted and landed safely in Saudi Arabia. A passenger aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight recounted the panic when the aircraft plunged during the confrontation, CBS News reported.
“Suddenly the airplane dropped, massive turbulence for 20, 30 seconds, and then balanced, and then once again dropped for ten seconds, and balanced again, and then we saw that, in the front of the aircraft there was a riot,” passenger Almog Italie said in his video. Citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, CBS News added that “After the stabbing incident, passengers held the co-pilot down while another pilot on board landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.”
Trump Echoes Sentiment
Passengers were subsequently flown to Tel Aviv via another aircraft. US President Donald Trump also praised Captain Machchhar, describing him as a hero while speaking about the incident. Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu and described the co-pilot as “perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job”. “The pilot was in very bad shape. But in a way, he was a hero to open the door,” Trump said. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also hailed Machchhar as a hero, saying he fought back after being stabbed and, despite severe injuries, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and Emirati crew to intervene and save the passengers.
“This man is a hero. Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian Captain of Flydubai Flight 1073, fought back after being stabbed in the cockpit. Despite being severely injured, he managed to unlock the cockpit door – allowing Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to intervene and save all the passengers. Together, their extraordinary courage saved 174 lives. Indian. Israeli. Emirati. Different nationalities. One extraordinary act of courage. We wish Captain Machchhar a full and speedy recovery,” it said in a post on X.
Captain Machchhar is a seasoned pilot who currently flies as a direct-entry Captain with the UAE-based carrier Flydubai. A veteran in the cockpit, Captain Machchhar brings over 13 years of commercial aviation experience, with an impressive log of 9,750 total flying hours, predominantly operating Boeing 737 (B737) aircraft. Prior to joining Flydubai, he had a distinguished 11-year tenure with an Indian airline, SpiceJet, where he served as a Line Training Captain. Meanwhile, Flydubai will temporarily suspend flights to and from Israel as an investigation into the mid-air incident is underway, an airline spokesperson said.
