From textile studies to cockpit hero: Indian pilot lauded for saving Israel-bound jet

Captain Smit Machchhar praised for his role in saving Tel Aviv-bound flight after he managed to open the cockpit door, despite being seriously wounded.

By World Israel News Staff

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who once planned to enter his family’s textile business, is being hailed by leaders in Israel and India after helping save 174 people aboard a flydubai flight despite suffering serious stab wounds during a midair attack.

Machchhar, the captain of Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was badly wounded when his co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit on Wednesday and sent the Boeing 737 into a rapid dive.

Israeli officials said the aircraft lost nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.

Machchhar was left bleeding heavily on the cockpit floor but managed to activate the release mechanism for the locked cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the attacker.

Two other flydubai pilots who had been traveling as passengers were then able to take control of the aircraft and land it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu called Machchhar a “true hero,” saying the captain continued resisting despite his injuries and made the intervention by passengers and crew possible.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised the Mumbai-born pilot.

“Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO,” Modi wrote.

“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others,” Modi said. “His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.”

Machchhar remained hospitalized in Saudi Arabia on Thursday after undergoing surgery.

India’s embassy in Riyadh said he was in stable condition and that Indian officials were in contact with his family and Saudi authorities to ensure he received the necessary medical care.

The captain’s actions have drawn particular attention in India as details of his unconventional path into aviation have emerged.

Machchhar did not grow up dreaming of becoming a pilot.

“Unlike a lot of other aviators right now, aviation was not a childhood dream,” he said in a 2025 interview. “It came along much later in my life.”

After finishing school, Machchhar studied textile engineering with the expectation that he would eventually join his family’s business.

He later pursued management studies in Mumbai and attended an aviation seminar when he was around 19.

“That’s where the aviation bug … really found me,” he recalled.

Machchhar subsequently trained as a pilot in New Zealand before joining Indian carrier SpiceJet.

He spent more than a decade there, eventually becoming a line training captain responsible for training and mentoring other pilots.

He joined flydubai in 2022 and has accumulated nearly 9,750 hours of flight time during a career spanning approximately 15 years.

In the same interview, Machchhar described safety as the overriding priority of his work, saying he was willing to accept delays rather than take unnecessary risks.

“Delay is not my problem,” he said. “As long as you’re walking out of the aircraft is what I want.”

Passengers and officials have described Machchhar as badly wounded and covered in blood during Wednesday’s incident, as he continued trying to resist his attacker and open the cockpit to outside help.

Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun was among those who rushed toward the cockpit after hearing screams and seeing the aircraft begin to descend.

“What made it difficult for us was [Machchhar] himself,” Hayun said. “He had been stabbed and was on the other side of the door.”

Another passenger, dentist Shota Musaev, said he found Machchhar in extremely poor condition after entering the cockpit.

“He was covered in cuts – his head, his hands – they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two,” Musaev said.

“I think that if we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him,” he added.

Musaev helped treat Machchhar while other passengers restrained the co-pilot.

The aircraft ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia, and the passengers were later flown to Israel.

The attacker, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, remains under investigation.

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