'You stood strong when it mattered the most': Shah Rukh Khan lauds 'hero' Indian pilot Smit Machchhar after flydubai horror

In an X post, SRK wrote, "Captain Smit Machchhar, you stood strong when it mattered the most!! It’s not easy to stare adversity in the face and put one’s safety on the line… but you did just that to protect those onboard and showed us what being a Captain entails. A true display of courage and duty. Wishing you a speedy recovery, the country is proud of you…"

What happened aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073?

The incident took place on September 30 aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Indian Captain Smit Machchhar was allegedly attacked by his Omani co-pilot inside the cockpit during the flight.

Machchhar sustained serious injuries in the alleged attack but managed to retain control of the aircraft. He was later evacuated for medical treatment as authorities began investigating the incident.

According to reports, the aircraft had 174 passengers on board when the alleged attack took place.

Machchhar later spoke about the ordeal, including his efforts to prevent the aircraft from being brought down.

He told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa during the cockpit struggle as he sought courage to deal with the situation.

Machchhar was subsequently airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further medical treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.