Faith and Values Saved 174 Innocent Lives’: Captain Smit Machhar’s Bravery Averts Disaster, Says Tikshan Sood

Hoshiarpur/Daljeet Ajnoha/Oct.3 — Former cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Tikshan Sood has praised Indian-origin pilot Captain Smit Machhar, whose alertness and courage prevented a major air disaster that could have claimed 174 innocent lives aboard a flydubai flight on 30 September.

Incident overview

The flydubai flight FZ1073, operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after a violent confrontation erupted in the cockpit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co‑pilot, an Omani national, stabbed Captain Machhar and tried to sabotage the aircraft’s systems, causing the Boeing 737 to plunge sharply before being brought under control. Passengers and crew rushed into the cockpit, overpowered the attacker, and the plane landed safely; all passengers survived.

Sood’s statement on faith, values and bravery

Speaking in Hoshiarpur, Tikshan Sood said Captain Smit Machhar’s bravery has drawn global admiration and that, had the aircraft been crashed into a building as allegedly planned, the human toll could have echoed tragedies like 9/11. Sood highlighted the pilot’s video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as especially significant, noting Machhar’s remark that in that critical moment his sole aim was to save the 174 lives on board.

According to Sood, the captain drew moral strength from his faith, continuously reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal. “This entire episode proves that faith and sanskar (values) can pull a person out of even the toughest crisis,” Sood said, adding that it was these Indian values that led Captain Machhar to disregard his own safety and display extraordinary courage despite being badly injured by the co‑pilot’s knife attack.

Aftermath and recognition

Captain Machhar, a Mumbai native and former SpiceJet pilot who joined flydubai as a Boeing 737 captain in 2022, was hospitalised after the incident and is reported to be in stable condition. Netanyahu described him as a “true hero” for fighting back, opening the cockpit door and enabling passengers and crew to stop the attacker, thereby preventing a catastrophic mid‑air disaster. Sood said that by saving the flight, Captain Machhar has “raised India’s head high” and set an example of bravery for the world.