Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar Recovering After Mid-Air Attack

Captain Smit Machchhar, a veteran flydubai pilot, is making steady progress in an Abu Dhabi hospital following a terrifying Indian pilot mid-air attack that saw him fighting for his life in the cockpit.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE confirmed on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, that the pilot is recovering after a violent incident aboard flight FZ1073. The aircraft was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, 30 September, when the situation turned critical.