‘My salute’: Netanyahu hails Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his ‘extraordinary bravery’ for saving lives on Flydubai flight

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has been praised by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu after a violent cockpit attack on a flydubai flight. Despite being stabbed by his co-pilot, Machchhar fought back and helped passengers and crew overpower the attacker, preventing a possible disaster and helping save 174 lives.

Published: October 1, 2026, 7:02 AM IST

https://www.india.com/news/world/my-salute-netanyahu-hails-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-for-his-extraordinary-bravery-for-saving-lives-on-flydubai-flight-cockpit-attack-8531763/

'My salute': Netanyahu hails Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his 'extraordinary bravery' for saving lives on Flydubai flight

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery during a serious incident on board a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar was reportedly attacked and stabbed by his co-pilot inside the cockpit while the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was in the air on Wednesday. Despite being injured, the Indian captain fought back and managed to open the cockpit door. This allowed passengers and crew members to enter and help stop the attacker.

The flight, FZ1073, was carrying 174 passengers. After the incident, the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Two other flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft as passengers later helped take control of the plane.

Read more: Who is Smit Machchhar, flydubai pilot involved in mid-air cockpit incident

Netanyahu calls Indian pilot a ‘true hero’

Netanyahu praised Captain Machchhar in a post on X, saying his actions helped prevent a possible major disaster. “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 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 also thanked the passengers and crew members who helped overpower the attacker.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

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 —…

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 30, 2026

Others who praised Captain Smit Machchhar

Joining him, Israel’s Ambassador to Cyprus, Reuven Azar, also paid tribute to the Indian pilot and the passengers and crew members who helped neutralise the threat.

In a post on X, Azar said he was praying for Captain Machchhar’s recovery and described him as an experienced and gifted pilot.

“Together with nations I pray for the life of Captain Smit Machchhar, the experienced and gifted hero Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073. His courage & the courage of other Israeli & Emirati passengers & crew members saved the lives of 180 souls”, he wrote.

Israel’s envoy to India also highlighted Machchhar’s role in the incident. In a post on X, the envoy described him as an “experienced and gifted hero Indian pilot” and said he was praying for his recovery.

“Together with Israel, India, UAE nations, I pray for the life of Captain Smit Machchhar, the experienced and gifted hero Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073.

“His courage and the courage of other Israeli & Emirati passengers & crew members saved the lives of 180 souls,” he added

Plane suddenly lost altitude

The incident happened while the flight was travelling towards Tel Aviv. Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and allegedly tried to take control of the aircraft.

Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft suddenly lost around 14,000 feet in a very short period. One analysis of the flight data showed a drop of about 14,300 feet in 37 seconds. The aircraft later stabilised and was diverted to Tabuk.

The co-pilot has been identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national. Saudi authorities are investigating the incident, while the exact reason behind the confrontation remains unclear.

Flydubai has confirmed that an incident took place during the flight but has urged people not to speculate about what happened until the investigation is completed. The airline said all passengers and crew members were safe and accounted for after the aircraft landed in Tabuk.

Who is Captain Smit Machchhar?

Captain Smit Machchhar is an Indian pilot from Gujarat with more than a decade of experience flying commercial aircraft.

Machchhar joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. Before moving to the Dubai-based airline, he worked with Indian carrier SpiceJet for around 11 years, starting in 2011. At SpiceJet, he worked as a senior commander and later as a line training captain, where he was involved in training and assessing other pilots.

His professional profile lists extensive experience on Boeing 737 aircraft, including the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9. Reports citing his profile say he has around 9,750 flying hours.

Machchhar has also worked in pilot training and has focused on areas such as aviation safety, compliance and operational standards. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Welingkar Institute of Management.

Passengers later reach Israel

After the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, flydubai arranged another aircraft to take the passengers from Tabuk to Israel. The passengers eventually reached Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv safely.

Flydubai has also temporarily suspended its scheduled flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv while authorities investigate the incident and establish what happened inside the cockpit.