"An Indian Prevented a 9/11-Style Tragedy": PM Modi Declares Captain Smit Machchhar a HERO as World Salutes Him
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared Captain Smit Machchhar a "HERO" — and personally called his family on Thursday.
- Modi said "an Indian prevented a 9/11-style tragedy," quoting Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the wounded pilot a "true hero."
- Donald Trump and S. Jaishankar have also saluted Machchhar, who is in ICU in Saudi Arabia but in stable condition.
- The seriously injured captain opened the cockpit door mid-attack so passengers could overpower his co-pilot and save all 174 people aboard.
What happened
India has a new national hero — and his name is Smit Machchhar. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally telephoned the family of the wounded flydubai captain who fought off his co-pilot mid-flight to stop what could have been a catastrophic attack, and declared him a "HERO" to the nation.
"Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others," Modi wrote in a post on X. "His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy. India is proud of Captain Machchhar."
Speaking later at the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission in Delhi, Modi went further — saying that, in the words of the Israeli prime minister, "an Indian prevented a 9/11-style tragedy." It is a staggering claim from a world leader, and it shows just how close Wednesday's attack on flydubai flight FZ1073 came to disaster.
Latest verified facts
Modi spoke to the family. On Thursday, the prime minister called Machchhar's wife and parents — his father Bhupendrabhai, mother Gitaben, and wife Sonalben — praised the captain's courage, and assured them that Indian missions were providing all possible assistance. The pilot is being treated in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh says he is in stable condition. Modi publicly appealed to citizens to pray for his recovery.
The world's leaders are lining up to salute him. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Machchhar as a "true hero," saying he fought back despite being stabbed and seriously injured, and credited him with preventing a "catastrophic mid-air disaster." U.S. President Donald Trump has also praised the captain — while calling the co-pilot a "terrorist or whack job." External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar praised Machchhar's "extraordinary courage and remarkable presence of mind," saying it saved hundreds of lives and averted a major tragedy.
The man himself. Machchhar has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and over 9,750 hours on the Boeing 737 — a decade with SpiceJet, then four years at flydubai as a line training captain, the senior pilots who train other pilots.
Why it matters
Stories like this are rare — a civilian professional, wounded and bleeding, making split-second decisions that save 174 lives, including 27 children. That's why the praise has crossed every political line: Modi, Netanyahu, Trump, and Jaishankar don't agree on much, but they all agree on Smit Machchhar.
For India, it's a moment of national pride. The UPSC speech turned an aviation horror story into a story about Indian courage on the world stage — the kind of narrative that echoes for years. For Israel, where most of the 174 passengers were headed, the pilot's actions are being framed alongside the country's own stories of ordinary people stopping terror.
Read our earlier coverage: "They Tried to Do 9/11": Flydubai Jet Fell 18,000 Feet in Two Minutes — Pilots Say Crew Saved Everyone.
Impact on the USA and the world
For the United States, the incident has become a data point in two arguments at once: the ongoing U.S.-Iran confrontation — with Washington already investigating any foreign hand in aviation attacks — and the fierce debate over airline crew screening. A co-pilot who allegedly tried to crash his own plane will force regulators everywhere to revisit how pilots are vetted and monitored.
For the aviation world, the uncomfortable questions are just beginning. How did an allegedly radicalized co-pilot keep flying? What broke down in flydubai's screening? The airline has suspended its Israel flights, and investigators in Saudi Arabia — who have the co-pilot in custody — will face pressure from three governments for answers. The motive remains unknown, and officials have not released the co-pilot's name.
Related coverage: "They Saved Many Lives and Averted a Terrible Disaster": Netanyahu Says Flydubai Co-Pilot Stabbed the Captain; Flydubai Hero Yaniv Hayoun Hugged by Netanyahu as Indian Captain Smit Machchhar Named.
What happens next
Three things to watch. First, Machchhar's recovery — the whole story now hinges on the ICU in Tabuk, and India will be watching every update. Second, the Saudi interrogation of the co-pilot: the motive question is the one that could turn this from an aviation story into a geopolitical one. Third, whether the avalanche of official praise turns into something concrete — awards or a state reception when the captain comes home.
One thing is already certain: the image of a wounded Indian pilot holding a cockpit door open so strangers could rush in and save a plane will outlive every headline.