Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar unlocked cockpit, named assailant, while wounded - report

Indian pilot Capt. Smit Machchhar, a native of Mumbai, was stabbed during a flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026, according to passenger Yaniv Hayoun. Hayoun relayed this information to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they spoke at Ben-Gurion Airport. According to Hayoun, the cockpit door was indeed unlocked, but Machchhar managed to open it despite his injuries.

Netanyahu later commended Machchhar's "extraordinary bravery" on Twitter, stating that the pilot fought back, resisted the attacker, opened the cockpit door, and helped passengers overpower the assailant, averting a potential disaster. The attacker, also a pilot, was identified by Machchhar as he verbally communicated the incident to his fellow crew member.

Passengers, including Israeli dentist Shota Musayev, provided first aid to Machchhar, who was severely injured with bleeding from his head and hands. Machchhar's condition stabilized after the dentist stopped the bleeding but worsened upon landing. He is currently receiving medical attention in a hospital in Tabuk city, northwest Saudi Arabia.

The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed that Machchhar is in stable condition and their embassy in Riyadh and Jeddah are in touch with his family.