Prime Minister Narendra Modi told flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar that his courage protected Indian pilots’ reputation. Speaking to the injured captain, Prime Minister Modi said the outcome could have been different without Machchhar’s response.
“Had this not happened, who knows what India would have had to face, what all Indian pilots would have had to endure, and how Indian pilots would have been viewed. You have saved everyone. You have done a very big thing,” PM Modi told Machchhar.
The Prime Minister said the incident reflected the courage and values associated with Indians.
“The country can proudly say that Indians are not those who take lives, but those who are willing to risk their lives to save others,” he said.
Machchhar, 39, recalled the ordeal and told PM Modi that he kept reciting the Hanuman Chalisa while fighting off the attacker.
Social media discussions following the incident included speculation about whether the Indian captain could have faced blame if the aircraft had crashed. Modi did not directly refer to these posts during the conversation.
Machchhar received international praise after he reportedly fought off his Omani co-pilot, who allegedly tried to take control of the aircraft during a mid-air altercation.
Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and restrain the attacker.
The response reportedly helped prevent an apparent hijacking of the Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight, which carried more than 170 people.
The incident has emerged alongside continued attention on the investigation into the 2025 Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad.
The tragedy triggered widespread debate over the roles and actions of the pilots operating the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The government later described the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s investigation as being at an advanced stage.
Air India flight AI171 crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad for London on June 12, 2025. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died, while 19 people on the ground were killed.
The flydubai investigation remains underway. The airline has temporarily suspended flights to and from Israel following Wednesday’s mid-air altercation.
Also Read: Captain Machchhar tells PM Modi How Hanuman Chalisa Helped During Cockpit Fightback
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