A former neighbour of Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has praised him as a “talented and soft-spoken person” after he helped prevent a major tragedy and saved 174 lives during the incident. Dr Janit Shah, who knew Captain Machchhar and his family for around 10 to 15 years, recalled him as a quiet and good-natured person. According to ANI, the family lived in the same neighbourhood in Mumbai before Captain Machchhar moved to Dubai around two to three years ago.
“Smit Machchhar is a talented, soft-spoken, and good man. He was my neighbour for the last 10-15 years before he shifted to Dubai 2-3 years ago. Now, the story has emerged that he was able to save 174 lives even after being stabbed. He is an incredible person, and I hope for his fast recovery. I hope his family is able to recover from this shock,” Shah told ANI.
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#WATCH | Mumbai | Former neighbor of Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, Dr Janit Shah says, “Smit Machchhar is a talented, soft-spoken, and good man. He was my neighbor for the last 10-15 years before he shifted to Dubai 2-3 years ago. Now, the story has emerged that he was able to… pic.twitter.com/M3RB29MPLc
— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2026
Earlier, Prateek Gandhi, Captain Machchhar’s neighbour in Mumbai who lives in the same building as the pilot’s family, said he had shown presence of mind even as a young boy. Gandhi, who recalled playing cricket with Smit as next-door neighbours in childhood, described him as one of the calmest people around.
“We are proud that he was born here and has done such a wonderful job for our country,” Gandhi said.
The brave captain has also received widespread praise on social media, with many users demanding that he be honoured with the Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award.
Captain Machchhar has been in the news after reports of a dramatic incident involving a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to reports, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying around 174 people when the co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed Captain Machchhar during the flight.
Despite suffering serious injuries, Captain Machchhar reportedly managed to reach the cockpit floor and activate the cockpit-door release. This allowed members of the crew and passengers to enter the cockpit and overpower the co-pilot.
Two other Flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers on the flight reportedly assisted the crew and eventually helped land the aircraft.
The flight was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Flight-tracking data reportedly showed that the aircraft made a sharp descent from around 34,000 feet to below 20,000 feet during the incident before control was regained.
Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia said Machchhar is receiving necessary medical attention in a hospital in the northwestern city of Tabuk, and they are in touch with his family and Saudi authorities to extend all possible help. He is reported to be stable, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a post on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also reportedly spoken to Captain Machchhar’s wife and parents and praised the pilot’s actions during the incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also commended Machchhar for saving 180 lives and wished him a speedy and full recovery.
