Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot of FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, for displaying what he called the highest form of courage after the captain was stabbed in the cockpit during a flight to Israel and still managed to help save all 174 passengers on board.
Modi said Thursday that Machchhar, without fearing for his own life, fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11-like attack from happening during Wednesday's incident, which forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The prime minister added that India salutes the captain and is praying for his wellbeing.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia described the brave pilot as being in stable condition after he was taken to a hospital. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Machchhar fought back after being stabbed in the cockpit and, despite being severely injured, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to intervene and save everyone on board.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said Wednesday there was no doubt that the pilot who allegedly stabbed Machchhar was attempting to bring down the plane, calling it a miracle that the aircraft was able to land safely. We have no doubt that it was a terror attack of a radical individual, Danon said, adding that there was an intention to bring that plane down and expressing gratitude for the outcome.
After the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia, another FlyDubai aircraft was brought in to carry the passengers to their destination of Tel Aviv. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he had spoken at length with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the event, describing the copilot as perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job who stabbed the pilot.
Machchhar's professional background has drawn attention since the attack. His LinkedIn profile states he worked for FlyDubai for about four years, according to The Associated Press. Before joining the airline, Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, spent 11 years with SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost carrier, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He logged more than 9,750 flying hours with SpiceJet, according to the profile.
SpiceJet, in a post on X, praised Machchhar's heroic courage and selfless actions. You are a hero to us all, Captain, the airline wrote. Machchhar, who is married and has two children, trained as a pilot at Mainland Air in the New Zealand city of Dunedin for 18 months, beginning in 2008, the school's head Philip Kean told 1News, a New Zealand television news channel.
Shota Musayev, a dentist and eyewitness, told The Associated Press how the wounded Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door to let passengers in before they grappled with the copilot. Musayev then treated Machchhar. Poor pilot, he was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him, Musayev said.
The incident has prompted reactions from multiple governments and officials, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Indian Embassy both confirming details of the captain's actions and condition. The emergency landing in Tabuk allowed all passengers to survive, and the swift intervention by the crew and passengers has been widely credited with averting a larger catastrophe.