Flydubai Case | FULL: “Welcome To The Family”: Israel’s Message For Captain Smit Machchhar

Israel has a message for Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar: “Welcome to the family.” In an exclusive NDTV World discussion, Israeli experts praise the captain for his actions during the terrifying FlyDubai flight incident and discuss how his response helped save lives. The panel also recalls Captain Smit’s reported words, “I was injured, but my mission was to save lives,” while praising Israeli passengers who helped during the crisis. One expert described the incident as a “9/11-style attack” and called for scrutiny of aviation security and pilot-vetting procedures, while another said the situation may have been only “30 seconds” from a far more serious outcome. The discussion examines the incident’s implications for India-Israel ties, aviation security, terrorism and wider Middle East geopolitics, along with the possibility of Captain Smit being invited to Israel for Independence Day celebrations.