Oct 1, 2026 (Reuters) – The leaders of Israel and India hailed Indian pilot Smit Machchhar as a hero for saving passengers after he was stabbed by his colleague in an alleged attempt to crash a flydubai plane on Wednesday, September 30.
Passengers on the flight reached Israel safely on Wednesday after customers and crew foiled the co-pilot’s attempt to crash the aircraft, Israeli officials said. The struggle began when he stabbed the pilot and sent the jet plunging nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 m) in less than 30 seconds.
Machchhar was covered with blood on the floor when he managed to click the release to open the cockpit door, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Reuters. That allowed passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot and enable a second pair of flydubai pilots who were on board to land the jet in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu said in a post on X. “All passengers are out of harm’s way,” he had earlier said in a video statement released by his office.
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In a post on X early on Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Machchhar, calling him 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,” Modi said.
Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia said Machchhar is receiving necessary medical attention in a hospital in the northwestern city of Tabuk and they are in touch with his family and Saudi authorities to extend all possible help.
He is reported to be stable, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a post on X.
Machchhar, who hails from India’s financial capital Mumbai, underwent surgery after the incident, Indian newspaper the Hindustan Times reported.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Machchhar worked with India’s SpiceJet airline for over 11 years before joining flydubai.
The cause of the altercation between the pilots was not clear. Flydubai said in a statement that the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against “premature speculation.” It also suspended flights to and from Israel amid an investigation.
Netanyahu described the event as “a highly severe security incident”, and said Saudi authorities would interrogate the co-pilot of flydubai FZ1073, which had been en route from the United Arab Emirates to Israel.
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A story that would be hard even for Hollywood to conjure, or if it was a movie made by Hollywood or Bollywood, would be seen as fantastical, unfolded in the skies September 30, 2026. A miraculous combination of circumstances combined with extraordinary bravery, from several individuals, saved the lives of more than 170 passengers, many of them kids. The man who made that possible for Captain Machchhar, whom neighbors and friends described as a jovial, smiling man, father, husband, and son, from Mumbai. The Captain was moved from Tabuk to Abu Dhabi for treatment of his injuries October 1.
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a salutory message on Facebook:
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, declared a state honor recognizing Machchhar, posting on X, “The courage of Captain Smit Machhar, the pilot of the flight headed to Israel, is being saluted by the entire world today. Despite being drenched in blood due to the attack, he displayed indomitable bravery to save the lives of 174 passengers—a feat that is profoundly inspiring and commendable. This valiant son of Gujarat has illuminated the name of Gujarat and the nation across the globe through his heroism. The Gujarati spirit flowing in his veins fills us all with immense pride. To honor his extraordinary act of bravery and humanity, the Government of Gujarat will bestow upon Captain Smit Machhar the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award.’ The entire Gujarat is praying for his swift recovery. The empathy and prayers of the nation’s citizens are with Captain Smit Machhar.”
The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv posted on Facebook saying:
