From Textile Engineering to the Cockpit: Indian Pilot Praised as Hero After Flydubai Drama

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero in India and Israel after helping avert a potential disaster aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel. According to Israeli officials, Machchhar was allegedly stabbed by his co-pilot during the flight but managed to activate the cockpit door release, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar is recovering.

Machchhar, a Mumbai native, did not initially plan to become a pilot. After school, he studied textile engineering with the intention of joining his family’s textile business and later pursued management studies at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute of Management. At around 19, he attended an aviation seminar that sparked his interest in flying. He subsequently trained in New Zealand and joined SpiceJet, where he spent 11 years before moving to Flydubai in 2022.

With nearly 9,750 flying hours and around 15 years in aviation, Machchhar has also worked as a line training captain, mentoring younger pilots. In a 2025 interview, he described his approach to flying and life beyond the cockpit, saying his priority was ensuring passengers safely leave the aircraft. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have publicly praised his courage following the incident.

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