Who is Smit Machchhar, the pilot who was stabbed by the co-pilot but managed to save the 174 people on board with a single gesture

Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot of a Flydubai aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, is considered the main savior of the 174 people on board after he was attacked and stabbed by the copilot during the flight. Gravely injured, the pilot managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and restrain the attacker.

The incident occurred approximately two hours after takeoff. During the struggle for control of the Boeing 737, the aircraft lost more than 5,300 meters in less than two minutes. The aircraft was diverted and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar, aged 39, was taken to hospital and operated on. The Embassy of India stated that the pilot is in stable condition. Other pilots were also on board and contributed to regaining control of the aircraft and landing it. The prime ministers of India and Israel called him a hero, while the investigation into the attack is ongoing.

Originally from Mumbai, Machchhar has more than 13 years of experience and approximately 9,750 flight hours. He joined Flydubai in 2022, after a career of approximately 11 years at SpiceJet.

He recounted in a 2025 interview that aviation had not been a childhood dream.

After finishing high school, he enrolled in a textile engineering course, intending to take over the family business. Later, he studied management at the Welingkar Institute of Management in Mumbai, and it was there that he first encountered aviation. He was 19 years old and discovered an aviation seminar

“That’s where I caught the aviation bug,” he said.