New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his conversation with flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar on Friday, underlined the significance of the Indian pilot’s actions in preventing a potential disaster aboard an Israel-bound flight, saying his courage had also protected the reputation of Indian pilots.
Speaking to Machchhar on a video call, who is undergoing treatment in the UAE, PM Modi said the consequences could have been very different had the captain failed to respond to the crisis.
“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 also said the incident demonstrated 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.
During his conversation with PM Modi, the 39-year-old father of two recalled the ordeal and said he had been reciting the Hanuman Chalisa while attempting to fend off the attack.
“I had suffered so many injuries, but I told myself that I had to get up and act. If I did not, I would be dead,” Machchhar told the Prime Minister.
The remarks came amid a wave of discussion on social media following the incident, including posts speculating about how the Indian captain could have been blamed had the aircraft crashed. PM Modi did not directly refer to the social media posts during the conversation.
Machchhar has received international praise after he reportedly fought off his Omani co-pilot, who allegedly attempted to take control of the aircraft during a mid-air altercation. Despite sustaining serious injuries, the captain managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew members to enter and restrain the attacker.
The quick response reportedly helped prevent an apparent hijacking of the Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight, which was carrying more than 170 people.
Following the incident, several posts on X raised questions about how responsibility might have been assigned had the aircraft crashed. Some users argued that the Indian captain could have faced scrutiny over the safety of the flight despite the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The discussion has also emerged at a time when attention remains focused on the investigation into the 2025 Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad. The tragedy had triggered widespread debate over the roles and actions of the pilots operating the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigation into the crash was subsequently described by the government 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 also killed.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the Flydubai incident remains underway, while the airline has temporarily suspended flights to and from Israel following Wednesday’s mid-air altercation.
