Netanyahu: Indian pilot rescued 174 people on Flydubai flight

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On Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machar, saying that he contributed to saving the lives of 174 people on board Flydubai flight FZ1073 heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv, after the violent incident that occurred in the cockpit.

Netanyahu said in a post on his account on the “X” platform: “I salute the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machar, for his exceptional courage,” adding that, despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he resisted and opened the cockpit door, allowing the passengers and crew members to control the attacker.

He added that Machar "saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationalities," wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

Netanyahu's statements about an attack inside the cockpit match an account he gave earlier Wednesday, when he said that one of the pilots stabbed the other and, according to the Israeli authorities' assessment, attempted to shoot down the plane. However, official investigations into the circumstances and motives of the incident are still ongoing.

Indian media had previously indicated the identity of the injured pilot, and said that he was named Smit Machar, an Indian citizen of Gujarati origin who works as a captain for “Fly Dubai”.

According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, Machar has been working as a captain on the Boeing 737 fleet at Flydubai since June 2022, after previously working for the Indian company SpiceJet.

The Times of India newspaper reported that Machar has more than 13 years of experience flying Boeing 737 aircraft, and that he spent about 11 years at SpiceJet, where he held the position of first captain, then worked as a pilot instructor before moving to Flydubai.

Indian media also reported from its sources that Machar was stabbed during the confrontation inside the cockpit, but he continued to resist his colleague before others on board intervened. Flydubai had confirmed that a clash had occurred in the cockpit and that members of the crew who were traveling on the flight were able to secure the plane, but the company has not yet published the full detailed account of what happened.

The incident ended with the plane being diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely, while the pilot and co-pilot were taken to the hospital after being injured.