Shah Rukh Khan took to social media to praise Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who fought off the co-pilot who was allegedly trying to crash a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.
He wrote, "Captain Smit Machchhar, you stood strong when it mattered the most. It's not easy to stare adversity in the face and put one's safety on the line, but you did that to protect those onboard and showed us what being a captain entails. A true display of courage and duty. Wishing you a speedy recovery. The country is proud of you."
Other Celebs Who Shared Appreciation Posts
Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Sunny Deol and Tamannaah Bhatia were among those who took to social media to acknowledge the pilot's actions and wish him a speedy recovery.
Ranveer called Captain Smit "courageous" in his post.
Vicky shared a photograph of Captain Machchhar inside the cockpit on his Instagram Stories.
Alongside the picture, he wrote, "Braveheart! Capt Smit Machchhar."
Sunny Deol also posted a picture of the pilot and praised the courage he displayed during the emergency.
He wrote, "Captain Smit Machchhar - extraordinary courage and presence of mind when it mattered most. You helped avert a disaster and save lives. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Salute."
Captain Smit Machchhar, extraordinary courage and presence of mind when it mattered most.
— Sunny Deol (@iamsunnydeol) October 2, 2026
You helped avert a disaster and save lives. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Salute. 🇮🇳🙏 pic.twitter.com/kO4w9nZcVE
Tamannaah Bhatia highlighted the responsibility Captain Machchhar was carrying while dealing with the attack.
Sharing a text post, she wrote, "Imagine being injured, fighting for your own life and still thinking about the 174 lives that are relying on you. Captain Smit Machchhar, so much respect Praying for your recovery"
Anil Kapoor also joined the tributes, sharing a photograph of Captain Machchhar and reflecting on a conversation with his friend Jalal, who had known the pilot since their flying-school days.
He wrote, "When this happened, Jalal told me he knew Smit since flying school and had always known him to be someone he'd want by his side in a difficult situation. It made me think about how much courage Smit must have had, right from the beginning, for the people around him to recognise it so early on."
The actor further added, "What Smit did in that moment was nothing short of extraordinary. It takes immense courage to stay strong and put others first when you're facing something so terrifying yourself. Sending him all my respect and wishing him a speedy recovery."
When this happened, Jalal told me he knows Smit since flying school and had always known him to be someone he'd want by his side in a difficult situation.
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) October 2, 2026
It made me think about how much courage Smit must have had, right from the beginning, for the people around him to recognise… pic.twitter.com/1EHykR1iz2
What Happened On Flydubai Flight FZ1073?
Captain Machchhar was reportedly piloting Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when he was attacked by his co-pilot inside the cockpit. The Boeing 737 had 174 people on board.
The aircraft went into a rapid descent during the incident. Despite being injured, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, enabling crew members and passengers to enter and intervene. The attacker was subsequently restrained and the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Captain Machchhar later spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video call from his hospital bed and recounted how he realised that the aircraft was descending and made a final effort to open the cockpit door.
PM Modi publicly praised the pilot's courage and presence of mind, referring to him as a "hero" and crediting his actions with helping prevent a major tragedy.
The incident has also prompted tributes from several other Bollywood names, including R. Madhavan, Paresh Rawal, Vijay Deverakonda, Sonam Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty, Jackie Shroff and Kangana Ranaut.
Captain Machchhar was initially treated at a hospital in Tabuk and was reported to be stable. He was later shifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is continuing his treatment and recovery.
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