- Israeli PM Netanyahu praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for bravery on flight FZ1073
- Machchhar was stabbed but fought the co-pilot and opened the cockpit door
- Passengers and crew overpowered the attacker, preventing a mid-air disaster
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Indian pilot who fought off the co-pilot who allegedly tried to sabotage the plane's systems, saving the lives of as many as 180 passengers on board the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
In a post on X, Netanyahu said, "My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery".
He said that even though he was stabbed and seriously injured, Machchhar fought back and opened the cockpit door which helped passengers and other crew members attack the perpetrator.
"Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker - preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster", Netanyahu wrote.
Netanyahu said the pilot's actions prevented what could have become a major aviation disaster.
The Israeli leader wished him a speedy recovery and described him as "a true hero".
Joining him, Israel's Ambassador to Cyprus, Reuven Azar, also paid tribute to the Indian pilot and the passengers and crew members who helped neutralise the threat.
In a post on X, Azar said he was praying for Captain Machchhar's recovery and described him as an experienced and gifted pilot.
"Together with nations I pray for the life of Captain Smit Machchhar, the experienced and gifted hero Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073. His courage & the courage of other Israeli & Emirati passengers & crew members saved the lives of 180 souls", he wrote.
Azar also used the occasion to call for unity against terrorism, declaring, "United against terrorism."
Who Is Captain Machchhar?
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen, had been working with flydubai, a low-cost carrier owned by the Emirati government, for four years. He had worked for SpiceJet for 10 years prior to that.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Captain Machchhar has over 13 years of commercial flying experience on the Boeing 737 fleet. He served as a line training captain extensively and has over 9,750 flying hours.
Captain Machchhar joined SpiceJet in 2011 and had served in several roles at the low-cost airline, including as a line training captain and a senior commander. In June 2022, he quit SpiceJet and joined flydubai as a direct entry captain.
His brother, too, had recently joined flydubai.
