Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his actions during a mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, saying his response helped prevent a potentially catastrophic disaster.
Flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers when an altercation broke out in the cockpit. According to Israeli officials and reports, the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s controls. The plane subsequently made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
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Netanyahu, in a post on X, saluted Machchhar for what he described as “extraordinary bravery”. He said the Indian captain continued to resist despite being stabbed and seriously injured and managed to open the cockpit door.
The move allowed passengers and crew members to enter the cockpit and overpower the attacker, while other pilots travelling on the aircraft subsequently helped take control of the plane.
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker,” Netanyahu said, adding that Machchhar’s actions helped prevent a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
Netanyahu said Machchhar’s actions helped save the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and passengers of other nationalities, and wished the pilot a speedy recovery.
The incident remains under investigation, with the motive behind the cockpit attack yet to be established. Flydubai confirmed that an altercation had occurred in the flight deck but cautioned against premature speculation.
Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk following the emergency landing, where he was receiving medical treatment for his injuries.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
