Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, who was injured while confronting his co-pilot during a mid-air cockpit attack on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. During the conversation, Machchhar recounted the ordeal and told the Prime Minister that he kept reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the crisis.
Machchhar, who is recovering in the UAE, was attacked by his co-pilot aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday. The flight, carrying 174 people, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the cockpit confrontation occurred. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed safely.
Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar managed to reach and open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the attacker. He told PM Modi that he realised the aircraft was going down and knew he had to make one final effort to reach the door.
According to his account, Machchhar was on the floor and continued to face blows when he sensed that the aircraft was losing altitude. He then pushed himself towards the cockpit door, which allowed others to enter and help restrain the co-pilot.
During his conversation with the Prime Minister, Machchhar also spoke about the role of faith in helping him remain focused during the ordeal. He said he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa while dealing with the attack.
PM Modi praised Machchhar for his courage, presence of mind and composure under extreme pressure. The Prime Minister had earlier described the captain as a "hero" and said his actions helped save lives and avert a major tragedy.
Indian PM Modi tells Smit Machchhar, the Fly Dubai pilot that the "whole country" is praying for you & you saved the lives of so many people.
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) October 2, 2026
"Indians save lives, not take lives", says PM Modi pic.twitter.com/ks00bS3nnR
The captain became emotional while speaking to Modi and told him that he had never imagined he would get an opportunity to speak to him. Machchhar also described the Prime Minister as his "biggest idol", according to reports on their conversation.
Machchhar is currently recovering in Abu Dhabi after initially being taken to a hospital in Tabuk. The Indian Embassy in the UAE said the captain was in good health and recovering well. He has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and around 9,750 flying hours, predominantly on Boeing 737 aircraft.
The incident is being investigated by authorities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The co-pilot remains in custody, while investigators are examining the circumstances and possible motive behind the cockpit attack.
