Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with Flydubai, fought off a knife attack by his co-pilot mid-flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, preventing a potential crash. Despite being stabbed, he opened the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to subdue the attacker. The plane dropped 18,000 feet in 90 seconds before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both praised Machchhar as a hero for saving hundreds of lives. The 174 passengers, mostly Israelis, were safely flown to Tel Aviv on a separate flight. The co-pilot, an Omani national, remains in Saudi custody for interrogation.
Machchhar is recovering in stable condition at a hospital in Tabuk. He joined Flydubai four years ago from Spice Jet and has 9,750 flying hours on Boeing 737s.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing