Who is Captain Smit Machchhar, the ‘hero’, who saved over 170 lives onboard flydubai?

Who is Captain Smit Machchhar, the 'hero'. This person saved over 170 lives onboard flydubai?

Key points

• 4 min read Kochi Updated: Oct 2, 2026 04: 31 AM IST.
• From a textile engineering classroom to a Boeing 737 cockpit, Smit Machchhar's unexpected aviation journey took a dramatic turn aboard FZ1073.
• The captain's family lives in Ghatkopar East, a suburb of Mumbai, Parag Shah, a local legislator from the area, informed The New York Times.
• Close to 10, 000 hours: more than 400 days in the air.
• Sources: Reuters; Indian Embassy in Riyadh; PM Narendra Modi on X; flydubai.

Who is Captain Smit Machchhar, the 'hero'. This person saved over 170 lives onboard flydubai? Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked his courage and quick thinking – unlocking the cockpit door despite a grievous injury. It allowed passengers to overpower the co-pilot and safely land the plane – 'saved us from another 9/11-like incident'. Written by: Chithira N Raju.

Smit Machchhar's bravery fills every Indian with pride, PM Modi remarked, adding that he spoke to the pilot's parents and wife concerning his treatment.

Flydubai pilot Smit Machchchar – the Mumbai man who was stabbed as he tried to stop his Omani co-pilot from taking control of Tel Aviv-bound flight FZ1073, and potentially crashing it – has been hailed as a hero for actions that probable saved over 170 lives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked his courage and quick thinking – unlocking the cockpit door despite a grievous injury. It allowed passengers to overpower the co-pilot and safely land the plane – ' saved us from another 9/11-like incident '. And Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu called him a 'true hero'.

So who is Smit Machchhar?

Machchhar, who describes himself as a lifelong learner and as someone who helps others fly higher in his LinkedIn bio, has over 15 years of commercial flying experience. With a "strong focus on safety and operational excellence", Machchhar joined flydubai in June 2022 and has been operating as a direct-entry captain. Before that, he served as the senior commander and line training captain with SpiceJet. He had flown over 9, 500 hours with SpiceJet after joining the private airline in June 2011. Captain Smit Machchhar. Photo: Reuters. Smit Machchhar: From textile engineering to the flydubai cockpit.

How an unexpected interest in aviation took a Mumbai engineering student from a planned career in textiles to almost 9, 750 hours in the cockpit. ~9, 750 flying hours, almost. From the classroom to the cockpit. He was originally headed for textiles.

He studied textile engineering and projected to join his family's textile business. At 19, an aviation seminar during his management studies at Mumbai's Welingkar Institute changed his direction.

"Unlike a lot of other aviators right now, aviation was not a childhood dream. As quoted by Reuters, it came along much afterwards in my life." Smit Machchhar, in an earlier interview.

Close to 10, 000 hours: more than 400 days in the air. A potential catastrophe was averted. Each dot is one person on board.

Machchhar's actions were credited by Israeli authorities with helping prevent a potential catastrophe. Illustration: 174 dots, not the actual seating plan. Safe landing in Saudi Arabia. Machchhar was taken to hospital in Tabuk.

Indian Embassy, Riyadh He is admitted to a hospital in Tabuk and receiving treatment, and is stable according to initial reports. The embassy notes it is in touch with his family.

PM Narendra Modi "Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. India is proud of Captain Machchhar." Modi said his actions "supported save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy".

Sources: Reuters; Indian Embassy in Riyadh; PM Narendra Modi on X; flydubai. Investigation ongoing.

Notably, the captain's family lives in Ghatkopar East, a suburb of Mumbai, Parag Shah, a local legislator from the area, informed The New York Times. The captain's parents were flown to Saudi Arabia early Thursday, Shah remarked.

Taken together, the developments around who is Captain Smit Machchhar, the 'hero', who saved over 170 lives point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.