MUMBAI, India (AP) — An Indian airline captain who was at the controls of a FlyDubai flight when a co-pilot stabbed him an apparent attempt to crash the plane was hailed as a hero, and his actions to thwart the disaster drew praise from world leaders.
Captain Smit Machchhar, from India’s financial hub Mumbai, was seriously injured in Wednesday’s attack. Passengers described how the pilot still managed to open the cockpit door to let them in. They held the attacker back as the Boeing 737 descended sharply, according to witnesses and Israeli authorities.
The attack forced the flight carrying 174 people from DubaiUnited Arab Emirates, to Tel Aviv, Israel, to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, northwest Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar was taken to hospital and is in stable condition, the Indian embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, said Wednesday evening. Embassy officials were in contact with his family and Saudi authorities.
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi On Thursday, he called Machchhar a hero.
“In the face of the gravest danger and despite his serious injuries, he showed immense courage and unwavering determination to protect the lives of others. His bravery helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy,” Modi wrote on X.
Modi also praised the captain for showing “patience, presence of mind and courage,” saying his “actions prevented another 9/11-like attack from happening.” He said he had spoken with Machhar’s parents and wife and that the pilot was undergoing treatment.
“Smit’s courage fills every Indian with pride,” Modi said.
According to Machchhar’s LinkedIn profile, he has been with FlyDubai for around four years. Before joining the airline, he spent 11 years at SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost airline, where he served as a senior commander and airline captain. He has logged more than 9,750 flight hours with SpiceJet, according to the profile.
SpiceJet, in an article on X, praised Machchhar’s “heroic courage” and “selfless actions”. “You are a hero to us all, Captain,” the airline wrote.
Machchhar, a married father of two, trained as a pilot with Mainland Air in the New Zealand city of Dunedin for 18 months, starting in 2008, the school’s CEO Philip Kean told 1News, a New Zealand television news channel.
Kean said Machchhar “did very well” as a student and later returned to India, where he worked as a recruiter for the school.
“We are all very proud of him here and wish him a speedy recovery,” he said.
The school, opened in 1991, offers a range of certifications, from private pilot licenses to an aviation diploma, and is popular with international students.
A report released last year by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority found 39 international students were enrolled at the school at the time of its review, representing half of its total intake. All 39 were from India.
The attack sparked a major security response in Israel, with authorities dispatching fighter jets in case of a possible hijacking. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker, an Omani national, had been arrested in Saudi Arabia and was being questioned there. The motive for his attack was not immediately clear.
Netanyahu also praised Machchhar’s “extraordinary courage” in an article on
“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu wrote.
Shota Musayev, a dentist and an eyewitness, told the Associated Press how an injured Machhar managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they struggled with the co-pilot.
“Poor pilot, he was just praying all the time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we were really going to lose him,” he said.
In Ghatkopar East, the Mumbai suburb where Machchhar’s family lives, neighbors noted how easy-going he was and also praised his courage.
“He has a lot of courage in him,” said Ami Sapani, a neighbor who knows the family. “God is with him.”
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Saaliq reported from New Delhi. Associated Press journalists Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington, New Zealand, and Adam Schreck in Bangkok contributed to this report.
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