'He's taught us courage': Friend on Indian pilot hailed as a hero
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after preventing a mid-air disaster when he was attacked by another pilot in the cockpit of a Flydubai flight. The flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia, and Machchhar is currently in stable condition.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical safety concerns in aviation and the extraordinary actions taken by flight crews during emergencies.
Image source, Embassy of India in Israel Image caption, The Indian government has praised Smit Machchhar for his "immense courage"
India correspondent Published 31 minutes ago When Captain Dharav Gosalia first heard what had happened to his old friend Smit Machchhar, he had one immediate reaction.
The two men have known each other since they were about 20, when they were neighbours in Ghatkopar, a Mumbai suburb, and began their flying training in New Zealand.
Machchhar was Gosalia's senior. They later spent six years as colleagues at SpiceJet, flying Boeing 737s, before their careers took them in different directions. Machchhar moved to Dubai and joined Flydubai in 2022. Gosalia went on to fly Boeing 777s for Air India.
"We have been in touch with messages," Gosalia says. "If there are some routes we have to fly, we discuss destinations and family on WhatsApp and phone."
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