Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for preventing a disaster on a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the copilot allegedly stabbed Machchhar and tried to crash the plane.
What happened
The incident occurred on September 30, when Flight FZ 1073, carrying mainly Israeli passengers from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Israel, was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The copilot allegedly stabbed Machchhar, who was able to release the lock on the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and gain control of the aircraft. Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others.
Machchhar has 13 years of experience flying Boeing 737 jets and has flown 9,750 hours. He has been praised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his bravery. Modi said that 1.4 billion Indians saluted Machchhar and prayed for his well-being, while Netanyahu called him a "true hero".
In a podcast interview in October 2025, Machchhar praised the training of air crew, saying that they could "save your life" if something went wrong in the skies. He also spoke about his career as a pilot, saying that he had always been interested in flying and had trained as a pilot in New Zealand.
Machchhar was taken to a hospital in stable condition and his family has been briefed on his recovery. The incident is being investigated, and the attacker has not been formally identified.
