‘A HERO’: PM Modi praises Indian pilot Smit Machchhar after mid-air attack

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, describing him as a "hero" for his bravery in protecting passengers after sustaining severe injuries during a mid-air attack aboard an Israel-bound aircraft, stating his valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a major disaster.

In a post shared on X, PM Modi wrote, "Captain Smit Machchhar is 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."

"India is proud of Captain Machchhar. Praying for his speedy recovery, renewed strength and good health," he added.
 

The incident occurred aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv service when Captain Machchhar was allegedly stabbed by his co-pilot, who reportedly tried to crash the airplane.

Despite his serious injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, enabling passengers and additional crew members to step in and subdue the assailant. The flight was subsequently diverted and landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

ALSO READ: Who is Smit Machchhar? Indian pilot at centre of Flydubai flight scare

A passenger on board the flight described the panic as the aircraft plunged during the struggle, CBS News reported.

"Suddenly the airplane dropped, massive turbulence for 20, 30 seconds, and then balanced, and then once again dropped for ten seconds, and balanced again, and then we saw that, in the front of the aircraft there was a riot," passenger Almog Italie said in a video statement.

Citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, CBS News added that “after the stabbing incident, passengers held the co-pilot down while another pilot on board landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.”

CBS News further noted a statement from flydubai confirming that "an altercation occurred in the flight deck" and that the aircraft "was successfully secured by on-duty FlyDubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely."

Passengers were later transported to Tel Aviv on a replacement aircraft.

US President Donald Trump also lauded Captain Machchhar as a hero while discussing the event. Trump stated he had spoken with Netanyahu and characterised the co-pilot as "perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job".

"The pilot was in very bad shape. But in a way, he was a hero to open the door," Trump said.

ALSO READ: Netanyahu hails Indian pilot Smit Machchhar

Trump also commended Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun for intervening, describing his actions as "amazing".

Hayoun later met Netanyahu and detailed how he placed the alleged attacker in a chokehold, extracted him from the flight deck, and returned to assist in controlling the aircraft.

Netanyahu praised Hayoun as a "true hero", writing on X, "Yoniv, you're a true hero. We're a nation of lions!"

US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated there were "no credible threats" targeting the United States following the event and noted that aviation security officials were reviewing current safety protocols.

"We have no credible threats to us right now. We take every incident like this very serious, and we continue to look at the procedures, that we have in place and continue to make sure the American people are safe," Mullin said on Wednesday, as reported by Fox News.

The Indian Embassy in France paid tribute to Machchhar for his "extraordinary courage", noting that he fought back after being stabbed, opened the cockpit door, and assisted passengers and crew in overpowering the attacker, averting a mid-air catastrophe and saving 174 lives.

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also hailed Machchhar as a hero, stating that despite severe injuries from the stabbing, he succeeded in unlocking the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and Emirati crew to intervene.

"This man is a hero. Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian captain of flydubai Flight 1073, fought back after being stabbed in the cockpit. Despite being severely injured, he managed to unlock the cockpit door - allowing Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to intervene and save all the passengers. Together, their extraordinary courage saved 174 lives. Indian. Israeli. Emirati. Different nationalities. One extraordinary act of courage. We wish Captain Machchhar a full and speedy recovery," the ministry stated on X.

Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, expressed solidarity with Machchhar and commended the joint actions of those on board.

"Together with Israeli, Indian and UAE 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. United against terrorism!" Azar posted on X.

The Embassy of India in Israel stated that Machchhar demonstrated "remarkable courage, composure and devotion to duty" despite his injuries.

"A resounding salute to Captain Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of flight FZ1073! Despite sustaining injuries in an extraordinary and challenging situation, Captain Machchhar displayed remarkable courage, composure and devotion to duty, helping ensure the safety of everyone on board. Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Machchhar for a swift and full recovery," the Embassy stated.

India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, also commended the aviator's bravery.

"In the skies above, courage held the line. We salute Captain Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of flight FZ1073, who stood with the courageous people on board and turned an unthinkable tragedy into a safe landing. Our prayers are with him for a swift and full recovery," Kwatra said on X.

Captain Machchhar is an experienced aviator serving as a direct-entry Captain with UAE-based carrier flydubai.

He possesses over 13 years of commercial aviation experience, accumulating 9,750 total flying hours, primarily on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Prior to joining flydubai, he spent 11 years with Indian carrier SpiceJet, serving as a Line Training Captain.

Meanwhile, flydubai has temporarily suspended flights to and from Israel while an investigation into Wednesday's incident remains ongoing, an airline spokesperson confirmed to CNN.

ANI