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SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said former SpiceJet pilot Captain Smit Machchhar would have needed “real courage” to reach across to the co-pilot’s side and open the cockpit door after allegedly being stabbed during a mid-air altercation aboard a flydubai flight.
Machchhar, who joined flydubai in 2022 after previously flying for SpiceJet, was the captain of flight FZ1073 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred on Wednesday.
“The handle that opens the cockpit door is actually on the co-pilot’s side. It would have needed real courage after being stabbed to reach out to the co-pilot’s side and open the door,” Singh told ANI, explaining what may have been going through Machchhar’s mind at the time.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8, carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, first transmitted the emergency code 7700 before sending 7500, the transponder code indicating unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. The aircraft subsequently made a sharp descent before being diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar is in stable condition and receiving treatment at a hospital in Tabuk, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said on Thursday.
“He is admitted in a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia and receiving necessary medical attention,” the embassy said, adding that the embassy and the Indian Consulate in Jeddah were closely monitoring his condition.
The incident unfolded after an alleged altercation between Machchhar and the co-pilot. Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed the captain in an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft.
Passenger Almog Italie told Reuters that the aircraft appeared to repeatedly lose altitude, initially giving passengers the impression that it was experiencing severe turbulence.
“It was dropping like for 20 or 30 seconds, and then balanced, and then started dropping again,” Italie said.
He said passengers and crew members then moved towards the front of the aircraft, where they realised that a struggle had taken place in the cockpit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised Machchhar’s actions, saying his “courageous act” had made every Indian proud.
Also Read: Smit Machchhar hailed by Modi, Netanyahu and Trump after flydubai flight incident
Addressing the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Modi said Machchhar had demonstrated “great patience, acumen and bravery”.
“Like Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu today said that this Indian thwarted 9/11 (like attack). For every Indian, Smit’s bravery fills our heart with pride,” Modi said.
Modi also urged citizens to pray for Machchhar’s long life and good health.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has credited Machchhar with saving 174 lives, while US President Donald Trump has also paid tribute to the Indian pilot.
I’ve kept the claims attributed to the relevant officials and passengers, rather than presenting disputed details of the cockpit altercation as independently established facts.
Machchhar, who joined flydubai in 2022 after previously flying for SpiceJet, was the captain of flight FZ1073 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred on Wednesday.
“The handle that opens the cockpit door is actually on the co-pilot’s side. It would have needed real courage after being stabbed to reach out to the co-pilot’s side and open the door,” Singh told ANI, explaining what may have been going through Machchhar’s mind at the time.
#WATCH
| Nagoya, Japan | "The handle that opens the cockpit door is actually on the co-pilot's side. It would have needed real courage after being stabbed to reach out to the co-pilot's side and open the door," says Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet, as he explains what might have been… pic.twitter.com/2IL0u8spCK
— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2026
The Boeing 737 MAX 8, carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, first transmitted the emergency code 7700 before sending 7500, the transponder code indicating unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. The aircraft subsequently made a sharp descent before being diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar is in stable condition and receiving treatment at a hospital in Tabuk, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said on Thursday.
“He is admitted in a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia and receiving necessary medical attention,” the embassy said, adding that the embassy and the Indian Consulate in Jeddah were closely monitoring his condition.
The incident unfolded after an alleged altercation between Machchhar and the co-pilot. Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed the captain in an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft.
Passenger Almog Italie told Reuters that the aircraft appeared to repeatedly lose altitude, initially giving passengers the impression that it was experiencing severe turbulence.
“It was dropping like for 20 or 30 seconds, and then balanced, and then started dropping again,” Italie said.
He said passengers and crew members then moved towards the front of the aircraft, where they realised that a struggle had taken place in the cockpit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised Machchhar’s actions, saying his “courageous act” had made every Indian proud.
Also Read: Smit Machchhar hailed by Modi, Netanyahu and Trump after flydubai flight incident
Addressing the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Modi said Machchhar had demonstrated “great patience, acumen and bravery”.
“Like Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu today said that this Indian thwarted 9/11 (like attack). For every Indian, Smit’s bravery fills our heart with pride,” Modi said.
Modi also urged citizens to pray for Machchhar’s long life and good health.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has credited Machchhar with saving 174 lives, while US President Donald Trump has also paid tribute to the Indian pilot.
I’ve kept the claims attributed to the relevant officials and passengers, rather than presenting disputed details of the cockpit altercation as independently established facts.
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