From textile engineering to cockpit hero: Indian pilot wins praise after flydubai drama
Summary
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after helping avert a possible crash of a flydubai jet carrying 174 people. The flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk, where he is recovering after being seriously injured in an alleged mid-air attack by the co-pilot.
Key Points
- Smit Machchhar helped prevent a suspected crash of a flydubai plane bound for Israel after the co-pilot allegedly attacked him mid-air.
- The flight was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar is recovering in hospital after being seriously injured.
- Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu both praised Machchhar as a hero for his courage and quick action.
- Machchhar, originally trained in textile engineering, entered aviation later in life and previously flew for SpiceJet before joining flydubai in 2022.
