The captain of the FlyDubai airline, Smith Machchar, received high praise from the prime ministers of India and Israel following an incident on board flight Dubai – Tel Aviv. During the flight on Wednesday, the co-pilot, a citizen of Oman, stabbed the aircraft commander. Despite the injury, the captain continued to act, which, according to Israeli authorities, helped avert disaster. After the incident, the Boeing 737 made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The injured captain was hospitalized, and his condition is reported to be stable. The co-pilot was detained. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the actions of his compatriot an example of exceptional courage. "Faced with deadly danger and despite a serious injury, he displayed immense bravery and unwavering determination to protect the lives of others. His heroism helped save hundreds of lives and prevent a major tragedy," Modi wrote on the social network X. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also thanked the captain, noting his "exceptional bravery." According to him, after the attack, Machchar fought back, opened the cockpit door, and helped passengers and crew members subdue the attacker. Netanyahu stated that thanks to his actions, the lives of 174 people on board the aircraft were saved. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that the co-pilot intended to crash the plane. According to him, the emergency landing was necessary to prevent a possible disaster. The circumstances of the incident are still being investigated by the competent authorities. The investigation is expected to establish the motives of the attacker and all the details of the incident on board.
