Captain Smit Machchhar: The ‘Jovial’ Pilot and Father Who Thwarted the Flydubai Attacker
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Smit Machchhar a hero after he helped save 174 people during the alleged attack, officials said.
- On Wednesday, pilot Smit Machchhar saved 174 passengers aboard FlyDubai FZ1073 after being stabbed by his co-pilot. Despite serious injuries, he opened the cockpit door, allowing crew to overpower the attacker before the plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- A former SpiceJet commander, Machchhar joined FlyDubai in 2022 with nearly 9,750 Boeing 737 flying hours. The Mumbai native is reportedly in stable condition after undergoing surgery in Tabuk, where Indian authorities are assisting his family.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the pilot as a "hero" on Thursday, stating his "valour helped save hundreds of lives." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Machchhar for saving "174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals."
- Netanyahu called the event "a highly severe security incident" and confirmed Saudi authorities are interrogating the co-pilot. FlyDubai warned against "premature speculation" regarding underlying reasons while suspending flights to Israel.
- President Donald Trump discussed the incident with Netanyahu, commending the pilot's actions. With passengers now safely in Israel, the investigation continues in Saudi Arabia while FlyDubai assesses security implications of the attack.
63 Articles
63 Articles
‘A true hero’: Modi, Trump, and Netanyahu hail Indian pilot Machchhar after in-flight Attack
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump both hailed Captain Smit Machchhar as a “hero” while Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was no less effusive in his words to praise his “extra ordinary” resistance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised flydubai's Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who managed to prevent the plane from being shot down despite a knife attack by his co-pilot.
Flydubai hijack raises questions as Congress stays silent on Israeli victims, terrorism and Indian pilot Smit Machchhar
The September 30 Flydubai hijacking and reported terrorist attack have opened a pointed question for the Congress and its leadership. A flight carrying Israeli passengers came under an attempt to seize control of the aircraft, with the plane plunging sharply and emergency code 7500 signalling unlawful interference. Passengers and crew intervened to stop the attacker before the aircraft was brought under control and diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabi…
Captain Smit Machchhar: The ‘jovial’ pilot and father who thwarted the Flydubai attacker
By Rhea Mogul, CNN (CNN) — The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed while trying to fend off the attacker,
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