Indian Pilot Captain Smit Machchhar in Stable Condition Following flydubai Flight Incident

PTI, October 1, 2026, Dubai: Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who was seriously injured while foiling an alleged attempt by his co-pilot to crash a flydubai flight, is in stable condition and receiving treatment at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, officials said on Thursday.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh, in a social media post, said that the pilot is "admitted in a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia and receiving necessary medical attention". The mission said that while a full update on his health was awaited, he was "reported to be in stable condition". The embassy and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah are closely monitoring Machchhar's health and are in touch with his family, it said. "We hope that he recovers from his injuries at the earliest. We are in touch with his family and assure them that we will continue to follow up on his health with Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his well-being," the mission said.

Machchhar was covered with blood on the floor when he managed to draw on "the last moments of his energy" to click open the release on the cockpit door, The Times of Israel reported, quoting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson Doron Spielman. That allowed passengers and crew to overpower the copilot and enable a second pair of flydubai pilots who were on board to land the jet in Tabuk, the report said. Saudi authorities are investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government on Thursday announced that Machchhar will be awarded the 'Visisht Gujarat Garima Award' for his indomitable bravery.

A special prayer has also been organised at the famous Somnath temple for his speedy recovery.

"The courage of Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot of the flight headed to Israel, is being saluted by the entire world today. Despite being drenched in blood due to the attack, he displayed indomitable bravery to save the lives of 174 passengers — a feat that is profoundly inspiring and commendable," Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said in a post on X.