‘A true hero’: Netanyahu praises Indian pilot for saving lives of 174 people on flydubai plane

By Nava Freiberg

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30 September 2026, 9:59 pm

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Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

Captain Smit Machchhar, captain of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that suffered an emergency mid-air, with the copilot subdued after stabbing Machchhar in an alleged attempt to crash the plane full of Israelis, September 30, 2026. (LinkedIn)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hails the Indian flydubai pilot attacked by his copilot on the plane full of Israelis this morning, calling him a “true hero” and wishing him a full recovery from his wounds.

“My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery. 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 writes on X.

“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 premier says.