Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar stable after emergency surgery in Saudi Arabia

During the flight from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel, Machchhar was attacked directly on the flight deck. According to Israeli authorities, the co-pilot, an Omani citizen, allegedly attempted to disable the aircraft and crash it into the ground.

Machchhar is hospitalized in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Following the incident, he underwent urgent surgery and is now in stable condition, according to the Embassy of India in Saudi Arabia. Indian diplomatic representatives confirmed they are coordinating closely with Machchhar's family and Saudi authorities to extend full assistance.

Machchhar is a native of Mumbai, India's financial hub. According to his LinkedIn profile, he accumulated more than 11 years of commercial flight experience with Indian carrier SpiceJet before joining Flydubai.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN that Machchhar alongside crew and passengers who breached the cockpit to subdue the assailant "managed to prevent a 9/11-style catastrophe."

"This incident differs from other tragic attacks in that this time the good guys won," the prime minister stated.

Flight FZ1073 Mid-Air Hijacking Attempt

Boeing 737 carrying approximately 180 passengers was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30. While traversing Saudi Arabian airspace, the aircraft broadcast a transponder hijack code, briefly vanished from radar tracking feeds, and later executed an emergency landing at King Faisal Air Base in Tabuk.

While Israeli officials earlier referred to the flight commander as an Emirati national with an Omani first officer, it was clarified that Machchhar was commanding the aircraft when the Omani co-pilot initiated the attack. Netanyahu confirmed the co-pilot intentionally sought to orchestrate a catastrophic crash. During the struggle, Machchhar was stabbed, after which the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, plummeting nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 meters) in under 30 seconds.

Bleeding heavily on the cockpit floor, Captain Machchhar summoned his "last ounces of strength" to release the electronic security latch on the reinforced cockpit door, according to Netanyahu's spokesperson Doron Spielman. Unlocking the door enabled flight attendants and passengers to force their way inside, pin down the assailant, and regain manual control.

Flydubai stated that the underlying causes and circumstances remain under formal investigation, urging the public to avoid premature speculation. The carrier temporarily suspended all scheduled flight operations to and from Israel pending the investigation's conclusions.