World
Flydubai captain Machchhar hailed after cockpit stabbing
The Hindu··1 Oct
Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight on September 30, 2026. The jet plunged nearly 14,000 feet before passengers and crew overpowered the attacker. Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu called him a hero. He is stable in hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a flight that carried 174 people.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Machchhar is receiving treatment in Tabuk after the diverted landing in Saudi Arabia.
- Passengers later reached Tel Aviv on a replacement aircraft, according to reports.
- Authorities are still ascertaining the co-pilot’s motive for the mid-air attack.
What's Happening
- Machchhar opened the cockpit door while injured, allowing others to enter and restrain the co-pilot.
- Two flydubai pilots travelling as passengers helped land the aircraft safely.
- Reuters said he has logged nearly 9,750 flying hours and joined flydubai as a captain in 2022.
Who the Pilot Is
- Machchhar began at SpiceJet in June 2011 and later became a line training captain there.
- He studied management at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute after a textile engineering course.
- US President Donald Trump and President Droupadi Murmu were among those who praised his actions.
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