Hero Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who found himself at the centre of a dramatic cockpit incident aboard a flydubai flight on Wednesday, was airlifted to Dubai a day later for medical treatment after his condition stabilised following severe stabbing wounds at the hands of his co-pilot, an Omani national.
Machchhar was reportedly stabbed by his co-pilot inside the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft.
According to a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Machchhar, covered in blood, managed to reach the cockpit door and activate its release mechanism. This allowed passengers and crew members to enter the cockpit and overpower the co-pilot. Two additional flydubai pilots who were travelling on the flight then took control and landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia said Machchhar was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Tabuk and that they were in touch with his family and Saudi authorities to provide all possible assistance. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said he was in stable condition.
Passengers described a chaotic scene after the aircraft suddenly lost altitude. According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the plane dropped around 17,000 feet in the space of a minute, prompting passengers to rush towards the cockpit.
Flydubai said all passengers on board were safe. Media reports said 166 of the 174 passengers were Israeli nationals.
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Israeli officials described the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack”. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to determine who was behind the incident while praising those who helped prevent a possible crash.
“During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board,” Netanyahu said in a video message.
He later praised Machchhar, saying that despite being seriously injured, the pilot fought back, opened the cockpit door and enabled passengers and crew members to overpower the attacker, thereby preventing what could have been a catastrophic disaster.
Machchhar, who is in his 30s, has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience, primarily on Boeing 737 aircraft. According to his LinkedIn profile, he joined flydubai in 2022 and had previously worked with Indian airline SpiceJet.
In a 2025 podcast, Machchhar spoke about how he entered the aviation industry. While studying management and preparing to help with his family’s textile business, he attended a seminar that sparked his interest in flying.
He recalled his first commercial flight as “scary” because of the responsibility involved, but said he gradually learned how to handle the pressure that came with being a pilot.
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