Indian Pilot Wounded on Flydubai Flight, Hailed as Hero

In September 2026, an Indian pilot named Smit Machchhar was wounded on a flydubai flight after an Omani co-pilot stabbed him. Machchhar unlocked the cockpit, named the assailant, and stopped the co-pilot from crashing the plane, an action credited with saving 174 lives. The flight was diverted, and Machchhar is in stable condition, according to the Indian embassy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both praised Machchhar. Netanyahu saluted his "extraordinary bravery," while Modi hailed him as a hero.