Netanyahu praises Indian pilot after diverted flight altercation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Indian flydubai captain Smit Machchhar after he was wounded during an altercation with his co-pilot on a flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu described Machchhar as a hero, saying the captain fought back after being stabbed, opened the cockpit door and helped passengers and crew overpower the attacker. The Prime Minister said the captain’s actions prevented a major disaster and saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.

The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft transmitted emergency signals and made a sharp descent before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk. The flight carried 174 passengers, including 27 children.

The Hindu, citing the Israeli news website Ynet and Israeli officials, reported that the co-pilot was an Omani national suspected of trying to crash the aircraft. Israeli passengers later helped subdue him, according to the report. The supplied material did not provide further details about the co-pilot or any formal investigation.

Machchhar was injured in the confrontation. He has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and has flown over 9,500 hours, according to details cited in the report. He previously worked for SpiceJet for more than 11 years and became a flydubai captain in June 2022.

His professional profile describes experience flying Boeing 737 aircraft and more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command. A senior pilot who worked with him at SpiceJet described him as a good person, according to the report. The available account focused on the captain’s actions and the safe diversion of the aircraft.