Hero flydubai captain Smit Machchhar airlifted to Abu Dhabi after cockpit attack

flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, hailed as a hero after being stabbed by his co-pilot in a mid-air cockpit attack, was airlifted from Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi on Thursday for advanced medical care, ANI reported.

Machchhar had undergone surgery at a hospital in Tabuk and was reported to be in stable condition before the airlift, Gulf News reported.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Dr Deepak Mittal visited Machchhar and his family at the hospital on Thursday. “Captain Machchhar is in good health and recovering well. The Embassy remains in close coordination with local authorities to ensure his continued medical care and well-being,” the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said.

The attack unfolded on Wednesday aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, when the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar in the cockpit of the Boeing 737 and attempted to crash the aircraft. Despite his injuries, Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, crew and passengers overpowered the co-pilot, and two off-duty flydubai pilots landed the plane in Tabuk — all 174 people aboard were safe. Israeli officials called the incident “an attempted terrorist attack”, NDTV reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Machchhar’s father Bhupendrabhai, mother Gitaben and wife Sonalben to check on the pilot’s recovery, while Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the state government would confer the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’ on the captain, The Tribune reported.