<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates stated on Thursday that Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar is recovering well after being seriously injured in an alleged cockpit attack that forced a flight from Dubai, UAE, to Tel Aviv, Israel, to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Indian Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal visited Machchhar and his family at the hospital.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Captain Machchhar is in good health and recovering well,” the ambassador’s office stated in a social media post. “The Embassy remains in close coordination with local authorities to ensure his continued medical care and well-being.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Indian External Affairs Minister Randhir Jaiswal also provided an update on the pilot’s health.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“After receiving initial medical treatment in a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, he has now shifted to Abu Dhabi for continued medical attention and recovery,” the ministry announced in a statement online. “We once again salute Captain Smit Machchhar’s valour and courage.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mittal expressed that he was “very reassured” after meeting Machchhar and thanked the UAE government for its support and the medical care being provided.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-large"><img alt="Israel Mideast Emergency Landing" class="wp-image-4750386" src="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26274568401595.jpg?w=696" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This undated photo, released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry social media, shows Indian pilot Smit Machchhar in the cockpit of a plane in an unknown location. Machchhar was at the controls of a Flydubai flight that was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Israel’s Foreign Ministry via AP)</figcaption></figure> </div>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Machchhar was attacked on Wednesday aboard Flydubai Flight 1073, which was carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that the Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed or struck Machchhar with what may have been a knife or an axe. The weapon has not yet been verified.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite suffering severe injuries and significant blood loss, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing a passenger and another crew member to enter and restrain the alleged attacker. The aircraft had rapidly lost altitude, dropping from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in roughly a minute, before eventually diverting to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Other Flydubai crew members aboard the aircraft helped stabilize the plane and land it safely. Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot after the landing.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Machchhar has since been praised by Indian and Israeli officials for his actions during the incident.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a hero, stating that his courage, while seriously injured, helped prevent a major tragedy.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4749970/saudi-arabia-israel-uae-investigate-flydubai-suspect-what-to-know/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia, Israel, and UAE work together on investigation into Flydubai suspect: What to know</a></strong></p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">India’s president also praised Machchhar’s “heroic courage” and “incredible presence of mind,” stating that his response helped save lives.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Investigators in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel are working to determine what happened aboard the aircraft, including the suspect’s motive and how the weapon allegedly used in the attack was obtained. The UAE has opened an investigation into whether the incident involved terrorism or prior planning.</p>