He has been hailed a hero for opening the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower his co-pilot.
An Indian pilot who was attacked by his co-pilot on an Israel-bound Flydubai plane has received a call in his hospital bed from India PM Narendra Modi. Visibly emotional, Capt Smit Machchhar said he fought back because he could not allow everyone on the flight to die. He has been hailed a hero for opening the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower the attacker.
The flight, which had departed from Dubai, landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
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See how this story developed, hour by hour
Co-pilot of FlyDubai flight planned 9/11-style terror attack
nbcnews.com
06.10.2026
Flydubai co-pilot originally planned attack for July, investigators believe
theguardian.com
05.10.2026
Flydubai co-pilot: Australian links probed after 'axe attack' on captain
news.sky.com
04.10.2026
From a Love of Flying to a Midair Attack: What We Know About the FlyDubai Co-Pilot
wsj.com
04.10.2026
Jerusalem Daily: UAE says Flydubai co-pilot attempted ‘terrorist’ attack
aljazeera.com
03.10.2026
Flydubai co-pilot attempted 'terrorist attack,' UAE says
dw.com
03.10.2026
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