‘Delays are not my problem until…’: Captain Smit Machchhar’s terrifying prediction months before flydubai stabbing | Today’s news
Months before he saved more than 170 passengers from a mid-air disaster, international “hero” pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has revealed that the daily inconveniences of flying are the least of his concerns – as long as everyone on board his plane leaves safely.
The rediscovered interview from 2025 serves as Machchhar’s uncompromising and now eerily prophetic philosophy of flight safety.
Read also | PM Modi praises brave FlyDubai pilot for ‘averting major tragedy’
Survival above the plan
During his podcast appearance with Zalak Mehta, the veteran Boeing 737 captain brushed off the pressure of flight delays caused by seemingly minor technical glitches or medical emergencies.
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During a Flydubai flight, a co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar in an attempt to crash the plane, leading to a violent altercation that put the lives of more than 170 passengers at risk.
Expressing that his primary concern is the safety of passengers, Captain Machchhar said that delays due to technical problems or medical emergencies are trivial compared to ensuring a safe exit from the aircraft.
Despite sustaining serious injuries, Captain Machchhar activated the cockpit door opening switch, allowing the passengers and crew to intervene and overpower the attacker, resulting in a safe landing.
Captain Smit Machchhar is a seasoned pilot with over 15 years of experience, having logged nearly 9,750 hours of flying time primarily on Boeing 737 aircraft before joining Flydubai in 2022.
Captain Machchhar was hailed as a hero by global leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his bravery and swift action during the crisis.
“The delay is not my problem,” Machchhar said bluntly in an interview. “As long as you get off the plane, I want it.
On Wednesday, his strict safety-first ethos was put to the ultimate test when Machchhar’s co-pilot allegedly stabbed him mid-air in an attempt to crash the plane.
Bloodied on the cockpit floor and battling serious injuries, Machchhar managed to activate the release switch and unlock the cockpit door, according to Israeli officials.
His quick action allowed the passengers and cabin crew to overpower the co-pilot. Two other flydubai pilots traveling as passengers stepped in to help and successfully diverted the aircraft to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Every one of the 174 people on board got off the plane – just as Machchhar had always insisted.
The pilot is now recovering in hospital.
Read also | ‘Possibly a terrorist or a hooligan’: Trump on the attack on flydubai
“When things go wrong…”
Machchhar also highlighted the immense responsibility that the flight crew bears when a flight goes wrong.
“I’m not saying they’re trained to do surgery and stuff, but then they can save your life, you know?” the 50-year-old from Mumbai said in the podcast.
The pilot expressed frustration with the general public’s perception of flight attendants and crew members, stressing that their true value is only realized during unprecedented disasters.
“It’s unfortunate that people’s overall view of the crew is, but when things go wrong, you need them,” he added.
Sudden career change and mother’s fear
Aviation was never a childhood dream for Machchhar. After school, he enrolled in a textile engineering course to continue the family trade, later pursuing management studies at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute of Management.
Everything changed during the flight seminar there, at about 19 years old. “That’s where the flying bug … really found me,” Machchhar recalled, adding that his mother was initially apprehensive about his sudden career choice.
“Unlike many other aviators right now, aviation was not a childhood dream,” he said. “It came much later in my life.
Despite his mother’s early arrest, Machchhar continued his training in New Zealand. He then spent 11 years with SpiceJet, rising to line training captain responsible for mentoring junior pilots before joining flydubai in 2022. Over a 15-year career, the veteran Boeing 737 captain has logged nearly 9,750 flight hours.
Read also | Who Is Smit Machchhar, FlyDubai Captain Stabbed During Mid-Air Cockpit Clash?
A “blessed” profession despite the risks
Despite the extreme risks his mother once feared, Machchhar did not regret his decisions.
When asked during the podcast to describe what it’s like to be a pilot in one word, his answer was simple and immediate: “Blessed.”
Watch the full interview here:
Global Praise for ‘True Hero’
The captain’s split-second composure in unimaginable suffering drew praise from world leaders.
“Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at X. “In the face of gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and unwavering determination to protect the lives of others.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a “true hero”.
