India’s PM Praises Flydubai Pilot for ‘Highest Form of Courage’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the FlyDubai captain credited with helping save 174 passengers after he was stabbed aboard the flight, saying the pilot had displayed “the highest form of courage.”

Modi said Thursday that Capt. Smit Machchhar had acted “without fearing for his own life” and “fought valiantly” to stop what he described as a potential 9/11-style attack. The incident occurred Wednesday aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, which was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Modi said India was saluting Machchhar and praying for his recovery. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said the “brave” captain was in stable condition after being transported to a hospital.

“Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian captain of FlyDubai Flight 1073, fought back after being stabbed in the cockpit,” the Israel Foreign Ministry said. “Although seriously wounded, he succeeded in unlocking the cockpit door, enabling Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to enter and restrain the attacker while all passengers were brought to safety.”

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Wednesday there was “no doubt” the pilot who allegedly attacked Machchhar intended to bring down the aircraft. He described the safe landing as a miracle.

“We have no doubt that it was a terror attack by a radical individual,” Danon said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle.”

“We know there was an intention to bring that plane down, and we are grateful,” he added.

Following the safe landing in Saudi Arabia, FlyDubai dispatched another aircraft to carry the passengers onward to Tel Aviv.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he had spoken at length with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the incident. Trump said the co-pilot “was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job” and had stabbed the captain.

According to The Associated Press, Machchhar’s LinkedIn profile says he has worked for FlyDubai for approximately four years.

Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, previously spent 11 years at SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost airline. He served there as a senior commander and line-training captain and accumulated more than 9,750 flight hours, according to his profile.

SpiceJet praised Machchhar’s “heroic courage” and “selfless actions” in a post on X.

“You are a hero to us all, Captain,” the airline wrote.

Machchhar is married and has two children. He began an 18-month pilot-training program at Mainland Air in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 2008, according to school head Philip Kean, who spoke with New Zealand television channel 1News.

Shota Musayev, a dentist who witnessed the incident, told The Associated Press that the injured Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door and allow passengers inside before they fought with the co-pilot.

Musayev later provided medical treatment to Machchhar.

“Poor pilot, he was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him,” Musayev said.

News Media’s Michael Sinkewicz, Stepheny Price and The Associated Press contributed to this post.