Netanyahu: Indian Pilot Saved 174 People on Flydubai Flight

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machhar on Wednesday evening, stating that he contributed to saving the lives of 174 people on board Fly Dubai flight FZ1073, which was headed from Dubai to Tel Aviv, after the violent incident that occurred in the cockpit.

Netanyahu said in a post on his account on the platform X: "I salute Indian pilot Captain Smit Machhar for his extraordinary bravery," adding that despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he resisted and opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to subdue the attacker.

He added that Machhar "saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and others of different nationalities," wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

Netanyahu's statements regarding the attack in the cockpit align with a narrative he provided earlier on Wednesday, when he said that one pilot stabbed the other and attempted, according to Israeli authorities' assessment, to bring down the plane. However, official investigations into the circumstances and motives of the incident are still ongoing.

Indian media had previously reported the identity of the injured pilot, stating that he is Samit Machhar, an Indian citizen of Gujarati descent who works as a captain for "Flydubai."

According to the "Hindustan Times," Machhar has been a captain on the Boeing 737 fleet at "Flydubai" since June 2022, after previously working for the Indian airline "SpiceJet."

The "Times of India" reported that Machhar has over 13 years of experience flying Boeing 737s, having spent about 11 years at "SpiceJet," where he held the position of senior captain and later worked as a training captain for pilots before moving to "Flydubai."

Indian media outlets also reported from their sources that Machhar was stabbed during the confrontation inside the cockpit, but he continued to resist his colleague until others on board the aircraft intervened. "Flydubai" confirmed that a struggle occurred in the cockpit and that crew members who were passengers on the flight managed to secure the aircraft, although the company has not yet published a detailed account of what happened.

The incident ended with the aircraft being diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely, while the captain and his assistant were taken to the hospital after being injured.