Flydubai Flight FZ1073

October 1, 2026 3:42 PM

Israeli leaders hail Indian pilot as ‘true hero’ for foiling flydubai crash attempt

Israeli leaders have hailed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, as a "hero" for thwarting an alleged attempt by his co-pilot to crash a flydubai flight carrying nearly 180 people, and wished him a speedy recovery. Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Wednesday. "Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and c...

October 1, 2026 2:33 PM

‘India is proud’: BJP leaders hail pilot Smit Machchhar, wish him speedy recovery

Several BJP leaders, including Union minister Rajnath Singh and party chief Nitin Nabin, on Thursday lauded Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his courage in averting disaster by fighting off his co-pilot's alleged attempt to crash the flydubai aircraft carrying 174 passengers. flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, transmitted emergency signals on Wednesday and made a sharp descent of more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airpo...

October 1, 2026 1:04 PM

Neighbours in Mumbai fondly recall hero pilot Smit Machchhar, pray for his speedy recovery

Neighbours of the Mumbai-based family of Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar said on Thursday that they were proud of him and were praying for his speedy recovery. Captain Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for fighting off a co-pilot who allegedly tried to crash a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, drawing global attention and praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. He used to live with his parents at Swastik Heights in the Ghatkopar area...