Indian flydubai captain hailed as hero for saving 174 lives despite being stabbed by co-pilot

Smit Machchhar, the flydubai pilot who was stabbed by his co-pilot in an alleged attempt to crash the plane, has been hailed as a hero by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to X, Modi praised Machchhar’s “immense courage and unwavering resolve” for helping save 174 lives on the Tel Aviv-bound flight. While bleeding on the cockpit floor, Machchhar had managed to unlock the door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot. Two other flydubai pilots on board then took control and landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Machchhar is currently recovering in a hospital in Tabuk. #flydubai Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia