India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who was seriously injured after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit of a Flydubai flight, was airlifted to Dubai on Thursday for further medical treatment.
Machchhar was injured while operating a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft was forced to divert to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after the cockpit confrontation.
Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured in an alleged cockpit attack, forcing a flight diversion to Saudi Arabia before he was airlifted to Dubai for further medical treatment.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and appeared to try to take control of the aircraft. Passengers and crew members intervened, subdued the attacker and helped ensure the plane could land safely.
Machchhar was seriously injured in the attack and was initially treated in Saudi Arabia. He was later airlifted to Dubai for further medical care.
The incident placed Machchhar at the centre of a dramatic mid-air emergency involving 174 people on board. Despite his injuries, the captain was able to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene, according to accounts of the incident.
The pilot’s actions have drawn praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described him as a hero. The incident has also prompted attention in India, with officials monitoring Machchhar’s condition and remaining in contact with his family.
Machchhar had previously lived in the UAE with his family. He has worked as a commercial pilot for several years and was flying for Flydubai when the incident occurred.
Captain Smit Machchhar had not initially planned to become a pilot. After completing school, he enrolled in textile engineering with the intention of eventually joining his family’s business, before pursuing management studies at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute of Management. It was during an aviation seminar there, when he was around 19, that he became interested in flying, despite his mother’s initial concerns about the career.
Machchhar later trained in New Zealand before joining SpiceJet, where he spent more than a decade and rose to become a line training captain responsible for mentoring younger pilots. He joined flydubai in 2022 and has spent the past four years with the airline. During his career, he has handled situations including medical diversions and technical delays, with safety taking priority over keeping to schedule.
Away from the cockpit, Machchhar has preferred to keep his professional life separate from his family life, focusing on spending time with his children and family once he is off duty.
His LinkedIn profile shows that he has accumulated years of experience in commercial aviation, including more than a decade with SpiceJet before moving to flydubai.
