Captain Smit Machchhar has been identified as the pilot stabbed during a mid-air attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel.
Machchhar, 32, an Indian national with nearly 10,000 flying hours, was attacked by his co-pilot approximately two and a half hours after the Boeing aircraft departed Dubai for Tel Aviv on Sunday. The plane, carrying 174 passengers and crew, abruptly descended thousands of feet and made an erratic circle near the Jordanian border before an emergency landing in Tabuk, northwest Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Machchhar’s actions during a public statement. “My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery,” Netanyahu said. “Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.”
Netanyahu continued: “He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals. I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery. He is a true hero.”
The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed Machchhar’s condition through a post on X. “Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah have been following the health condition of Mr Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of Flydubai flight that was diverted to Tabuk today,” the embassy wrote. “He is admitted in a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia and receiving necessary medical attention. A full update on his health is awaited but he is reported to be in stable condition.”
The embassy added: “We hope that he recovers from his injuries at the earliest. We are in touch with his family and assure them that we will continue to follow up on his health with Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his wellbeing.”
Passenger Almog Itali, speaking in a translated clip on the BBC, revealed that off-duty crew played a critical role in saving the flight. “There were two pilots in the front, one stabbed the other, and there were two spare pilots who were supposed to operate the next flight,” Itali said. “The relief pilots are European, one of them British, who entered the cockpit and pulled the aircraft up, pulled the yoke, stabilised the plane and landed us in Saudi Arabia.”
Netanyahu also disclosed that Saudi authorities have arrested the attacking co-pilot, whose identity has not been released. The Israeli leader further indicated the assailant may have attempted to crash the aircraft deliberately, with Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office, saying the attacker was “standing over the planes’ control panel and hitting it” in what appeared to be an effort to bring down the plane.
One passenger, identified as Yaniv, was among those who burst into the cockpit to intervene. Photographs showed him covered in blood after the confrontation. Netanyahu later met with Yaniv to acknowledge his actions.
Video footage circulating on X captured the chaos inside the cabin, showing bloody scenes, passengers screaming, and two men on the floor receiving emergency medical treatment while others guarded the cockpit. Additional images revealed damage to the aircraft’s rudder from the sharp altitude drop.
Flydubai issued a statement characterizing the event as an “altercation” that was “secured by on-duty crew” travelling on board. “All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” the airline said. “We have deployed two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to relieve the passengers and crew.”
The carrier emphasized that “the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation,” urging “all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts.” Israel is investigating whether the attack specifically targeted Israeli nationals, with Netanyahu suggesting a possible terror motive reminiscent of a September 11-style plot.
Flightradar24 data confirmed the aircraft’s emergency alert and subsequent diversion to Tabuk, where it landed approximately an hour after the initial distress signal.