Indian pilot stabbed on Tel Aviv-bound flight praised for averting disaster

An Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, was stabbed by another pilot on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv on Wednesday and has been praised internationally for preventing a potential catastrophe. The attack forced the aircraft to divert to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar was hospitalised but is reported to be in good health and recovering well. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian officials have hailed him as a "true hero" whose courage likely saved lives.

Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, was attacked whilst on duty flying an aircraft carrying at least 150 passengers, with Netanyahu stating he saved the lives of 174 people. The pilot has over 9,750 hours of flying experience and joined Dubai-based Flydubai in 2022 after working as a commercial pilot for Indian airline SpiceJet. Former colleagues describe him as disciplined and exceptionally trained in handling emergencies, with his previous employer SpiceJet calling him a "hero" who had saved "countless lives".