Bollywood stars praise pilot who stopped mid-air cockpit attack

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has joined fellow film stars in praising Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery during a mid-air attack on a Flydubai flight. Shah Rukh posted a message on social media to commend the captain for putting his own safety aside to protect the passengers on board. Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Vicky Kaushal, Ranveer Singh, Paresh Rawal, R Madhavan, Vijay Deverakonda, and Ravi Kishan have also shared public messages honoring the pilot and wishing him a quick recovery.

The Incident

Captain Machchhar was flying Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 174 people, including 27 children, from Dubai to Tel Aviv. On September 30, while the plane was in the air over Saudi Arabia, his co-pilot attacked and stabbed him inside the cockpit. Despite his severe injuries, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door. This action enabled passengers and crew members to rush in, subdue the attacker, and stop further danger.

Safe Landing

Two other pilots who happened to be on the flight stepped in to help guide the aircraft. They diverted the plane and landed it safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. Captain Machchhar was taken to a hospital for treatment of his wounds and later spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed to share details of the event.

Context

Commercial airline cockpits are heavily secured during flight to prevent unauthorized access, making unexpected breaches inside the cabin extremely rare and dangerous. Pilots undergo strict emergency training to handle sudden crises while keeping the aircraft stable and protecting everyone on board.