Injured Indian pilot recovering after foiling flydubai cockpit attack

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal on Thursday said he was "very reassured" after meeting Captain Smit Machchhar, who he said is "in good health and recovering well" after being seriously injured while foiling an alleged attempt by his co-pilot to crash a flydubai flight.

Machchhar was stabbed in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The aircraft, carrying 174 people, made an emergency landing in Tabuk in north-west Saudi Arabia. The passengers later reached Israel safely.

In a post on social media, Mittal said, "Very reassured to meet Capt Smit. Thank the UAE government for their support and medical care being extended." In another post on X, he said, "We are proud of Capt Smit for his bravery to save so many lives and avert a tragedy." He had earlier met the pilot's family and conveyed the full support of the Government of India in ensuring the welfare and well-being of the "Indian Hero".

It is understood that Machchhar was shifted to the UAE a day after he was admitted to a hospital in Tabuk city for necessary medical attention. The Indian mission in the UAE said Ambassador Mittal visited Captain Machchhar and his family at the hospital. It said, "Captain Machchhar is in good health and recovering well," and added that the embassy "remains in close coordination with local authorities to ensure his continued medical care and well-being." On Wednesday night, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh had said that he was admitted to a hospital in Tabuk and was "reported to be in stable condition".

Israeli officials identified the co-pilot as an Omani national. According to reports, he stabbed Machchhar and sent the jet plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. The Times of Israel, quoting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson Doron Spielman, reported that Machchhar was covered in blood on the floor when he used "the last moments of his energy" to open the release on the cockpit door. That allowed passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot, while a second pair of flydubai pilots who were on board landed the aircraft in Tabuk, the report said.

Netanyahu has described Machchhar as a "true hero". The incident ended with all 174 people on board reaching safety, while the Indian pilot remains under medical care and is recovering, according to Indian officials.