Israel to honour Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery during flydubai cockpit attack
Machchhar was flying a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight carrying 174 people when his co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed him inside the cockpit.
PTC News Desk: Israel has said it will honour Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery during the flydubai flight emergency. Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar called him a “great hero” for helping save passengers despite being seriously injured. He said Machchhar’s courage had made a strong impression on people and leaders in Israel.
“He indeed is a great hero. And India and Israel are great partners in the war. We will find a way to recognise him,” Azar said during a media interaction.
Machchhar was flying a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight carrying 174 people when his co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed him inside the cockpit. During the struggle, the plane went into a steep descent, creating a serious emergency.
An Israeli passenger, Yaniv Hayun, and another passenger managed to enter the cockpit and pull the co-pilot away from the controls. Machchhar was found injured on the cockpit floor but still helped in efforts to regain control of the aircraft.
Two off-duty pilots who were travelling as passengers then took over the controls and helped stabilise the flight. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.
Machchhar was taken to a hospital and was later reported to be in stable condition.
Who is Indian pilot Smit Machchhar?
While his actions during the emergency have made headlines, Machchhar has spent years building a career in commercial aviation.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he joined flydubai in June 2022. Before that, he worked with SpiceJet for more than 11 years, including as a Commander.
Machchhar is from Mumbai. According to reports, his career in aviation was not necessarily the path he had initially planned.
Before moving into aviation, he studied Man-Made Textile Chemistry, Apparel and Textiles at the SASMIRA Institute of Man-Made Textiles. He later pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration at Welingkar Institute of Management.
Reports suggest that Machchhar had initially considered joining his family business. His interest in flying reportedly grew after he attended an aviation seminar when he was in his late teens.