Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the wife and parents of Captain Smit Machchhar, who helped save around 174 lives after being stabbed during a cockpit confrontation on a flydubai flight on September 30. The pilot had earlier received praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, PM Modi applauded the bravery of Captain Smit. The Prime Minister also stressed that Indian missions are providing all possible help, news agency ANI reported citing Government of India sources.
Captain Smit Machchhar has been admitted to a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia. He is receiving necessary medical attention and is in stable condition, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah asserted in a social media post on Thursday. The embassy said a full update on his health is still awaited.
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What Happened On flydubai Flight FZ1073?
The flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, had transmitted emergency signals and made a sharp descent before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.
News website Ynet, citing Israeli officials, reported that the co-pilot was an Omani national and was suspected of trying to crash the aircraft. The Indian captain fought with him to prevent the aircraft from crashing, with Israeli passengers later helping subdue the co-pilot, the report said.
About Captain Smit Machchhar
Machchhar was described as the "true hero", has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and has flown more than 9,500 hours. A native of Mumbai, he was with SpiceJet for over 11 years before taking up the role of captain at Flydubai in June 2022.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Machchhar was a former Line Training Captain at SpiceJet. He joined Flydubai as a captain in June 2022 after serving with SpiceJet as a commander for little over 11 years, from June 2011, as per the profile.
Machchhar has flown more than 9,500 hours, including over 6,400 hours as Pilot In Command (PIC), according to his profile, in which he describes himself as an airline captain with over 13 years of commercial flying experience on the Boeing 737 fleet, including extensive time as a Line Training Captain. Machchar is a "good person", a senior pilot who had worked with him at SpiceJet told PTI.