Captain Smit Machchhar steered a hijacked Tel Aviv-bound flight toward safety despite sustaining severe injuries during a cockpit attack, before being evacuated to Abu Dhabi for surgery.
NEW DELHI — October 2, 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on Friday with Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian aviator who averted disaster aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv after being stabbed inside the cockpit, praising his courage and thanking Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for orchestrating his emergency medical evacuation.
Machchhar, commanding flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, suffered severe wounds when a co-pilot launched an attack mid-flight at cruising altitude, attempting to send the Boeing 737 MAX 8 into a steep descent. Despite losing blood and enduring blunt trauma, the captain managed to unlock the reinforced cockpit door, allowing passengers and cabin staff to overpower the assailant while off-duty airline crew aboard the plane stepped in to regain control.
The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers and crew, diverted into Saudi airspace and touched down safely at Tabuk Regional Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Saudi medical teams stabilized Machchhar at a local hospital in Tabuk, performing urgent interventions before authorities arranged an air ambulance transfer to Abu Dhabi for specialized reconstructive surgery. The Indian Embassy in the UAE confirmed on Friday that Machchhar’s condition is stable following surgical care.
In a direct telephone call on October 2, Prime Minister Modi lauded Machchhar’s composure under extreme physical duress, stating that his split-second decision-making saved scores of civilian lives. Modi conveyed India’s formal gratitude to the governments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their rapid coordination, cross-border clearance, and life-saving medical assistance.
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and federal prosecutors have opened an expansive criminal inquiry. UAE Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered the establishment of a specialized Public Prosecution team to examine the motive behind the assault and determine whether the suspect, identified by regional officials as an Omani national, had links to extremist networks or prior operational coordination.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that because the aircraft operates under UAE registration and flag, Emirati judicial authorities hold competent legal jurisdiction over offenses committed aboard the airliner. Flight data recorders and cockpit voice logs remain under technical evaluation in Abu Dhabi as diplomatic missions coordinate consular support for the injured pilot and his family.
