Dubai: Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is “recovering well” and remains under “excellent medical care” after being seriously injured in an attack by his co-pilot during a flight to Israel, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said Saturday.
Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday while it was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
“Indian braveheart Capt. Smit remains under excellent medical care & is recovering well. We are in touch with his family & local authorities, extending support for a speedy recovery,” the embassy said in a post on X.
The embassy also thanked the UAE government for providing medical care to Machchhar and said it joined well-wishers in praying for his recovery.
The UAE, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”. UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot used a crash axe to attack Machchhar and attempted to take control of the aircraft, state-run WAM news agency reported.
Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot, according to earlier reports.
The co-pilot who attacked Machchhar has been identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting people familiar with the matter.
The flight, carrying 174 passengers, transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet before making an emergency landing at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk.
After receiving initial treatment in Tabuk, Machchhar was shifted to Abu Dhabi for continued medical care.
On Friday, Machchhar spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and recounted how he fought to regain control of the cockpit despite being seriously injured.
“I was fighting for my life, but I was determined not to let others die,” Machchhar told Modi during the conversation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed Machchhar as a “true hero” for his role in averting a possible tragedy.
