Who is Smit Machchhar? Hero Indian pilot who thwarted alleged flydubai flight crash attempt
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump called the Indian pilot a 'hero'.
The pilot of a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, who was stabbed by the copilot in an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft, has been identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar for saving 180 lives and wished him a "speedy and full recovery", while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump called the Indian pilot a "hero".
Who is Smit Machchhar?
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Machchhar has served as a captain on flydubai's Boeing 737 fleet since June 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. His profile shows 9,750 flying hours on the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9.
Before joining flydubai, he worked with SpiceJet in Mumbai for 11 years. He worked as a senior commander and later became a line training captain in November 2020, a role in which he trained and assessed other pilots.
Machchar says pilot was not his first choice as profession
Civil aviation was not Smit Machchar's first career choice. After completing school, he enrolled in a textile engineering course in Mumbai, intending to continue his family business. He later pursued management studies at an institute of management.
Machchar developed an interest in aviation at around the age of 19 after attending a seminar. In a 2025 YouTube interview, he said he was drawn to aviation and later trained in New Zealand before joining Indian budget carrier SpiceJet, where he worked for 11 years.
Machchar joined flydubai four years ago. He is now recovering in a Saudi Arabian hospital after suffering stab injuries in the incident.
Machchar keeps professional and personal life separate
Machchar has said he prefers to keep his professional and personal lives separate. "When I get out of the cockpit or the aircraft, I don't want the other guy to know that I'm a pilot," he said in comments quoted by Reuters.
"When I wear the uniform, then no nonsense and just do your job, finish the job. When you walk out of the cockpit, that's it. Stop thinking about that. Someone else needs you now. The kids are there. They want to play with you," he said.
