Draft:Captain Smit Machchhar
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Smit Machchhar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Smit Machchhar Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Education | Welingkar Institute of Management |
| Occupation | Airline pilot |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Employer | Flydubai |
| Known for | Preventing a terrorist attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 |
Smit Machchhar is an Indian commercial airline pilot and captain with Flydubai. He became the subject of international attention following an incident aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on 30 September 2026."Netanyahu and Modi hail Indian flydubai pilot as hero". Reuters. 30 September 2026.
Early life and education
[edit]Machchhar is from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Reports published after the September 2026 incident stated that aviation was not originally his planned career. He later pursued professional pilot training and completed his flight training in New Zealand."From textile engineering to cockpit hero: Indian pilot wins praise after flydubai drama". Reuters. 1 October 2026.
Machchhar studied business administration at the Welingkar Institute of Management, according to information reported from his professional profile."Smit Machchhar: Former SpiceJet pilot at the centre of flydubai mid air emergency". Business Today. 30 September 2026.
Aviation career
[edit]Machchhar joined SpiceJet in 2011 and spent approximately 11 years with the airline. During his time there, he served as a senior commander and later as a Line Training Captain, training and assessing other pilots."Cockpit stabbing, a 14,000 feet drop: How Indian pilot Smit Machchhar saved 174 lives on flydubai plane". Hindustan Times. 1 October 2026.
In June 2022, Machchhar joined Flydubai as a direct-entry captain and became a captain on the airline's Boeing 737 fleet."Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar is Indian national, worked with SpiceJet earlier". Hindustan Times. 30 September 2026.
His professional profile was reported as listing approximately 9,750 flying hours, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command."Smit Machchhar: Former SpiceJet pilot at the centre of flydubai mid air emergency". Business Today. 30 September 2026.
FZ1073 incident
[edit]On 30 September 2026, Machchhar was the captain of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv."Netanyahu praises stabbed Indian pilot for saving lives on Flydubai flight". Al Jazeera. 30 September 2026.
During the flight, an altercation occurred in the cockpit and Machchhar was seriously injured. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely."Netanyahu and Modi hail Indian flydubai pilot as hero". Reuters. 30 September 2026.
According to reports, Machchhar was able to open the cockpit door while injured, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. Other Flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers subsequently helped stabilise and land the aircraft."Wounded flydubai pilot used 'last moments of his energy' to click open cockpit door so hijacker could be subdued". The Times of Israel. 30 September 2026.
The aircraft landed at Tabuk, where Machchhar was taken to hospital. He underwent surgery and was reported to be in stable condition."Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar is Indian national, worked with SpiceJet earlier". Hindustan Times. 30 September 2026.
The precise sequence and motive behind the cockpit incident remained under investigation. Flydubai said that the underlying reasons for the incident were not known and cautioned against premature speculation."Smit Machchhar: Former SpiceJet pilot at the centre of flydubai mid air emergency". Business Today. 30 September 2026.
Recognition
[edit]Following the incident, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised Machchhar for his actions during the emergency."Netanyahu and Modi hail Indian flydubai pilot as hero". Reuters. 30 September 2026.
Netanyahu said that Machchhar's actions helped prevent a major disaster and referred to him as a hero."Netanyahu praises stabbed Indian pilot for saving lives on Flydubai flight". Al Jazeera. 30 September 2026.