Remember his name: Israelis shower Indian pilot with tributes after flydubai attack

“Remember his name: Smit Machchhar.” That was the message echoing across social media after the dramatic incident aboard a flydubai flight, with ordinary Israelis posting videos to thank the Indian pilot and hail him as a hero after Israeli authorities said his actions helped prevent a catastrophe involving more than 170 passengers.

As details emerged of how Machchhar fought to regain control of the aircraft, messages of gratitude poured in online. Israeli users shared videos paying tribute to the captain, who was seriously injured after his co-pilot attacked and stabbed him inside the cockpit of the Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

One video after another carried messages of gratitude for the captain, with users in Israel describing him as brave and urging others to remember his name.

One Israeli content creator, Einav Avizemer, posted a video thanking both Machchhar and India.

“I want to take this opportunity and thank the Indian pilot. What a hero,” she said, adding that without his actions, “it could end up in a whole different way”.

Another Israeli influencer, Talia Yoseph, urged her followers to remember Machchhar’s name.

“I want every single one of you to know the name Smit Machchhar,” she said, describing him as a hero who continued fighting despite being severely wounded.

The reaction was echoed by an Israeli journalist, who explained how Machchhar’s actions helped those on board regain control of the aircraft.

“The pilot, he was such a hero... he was fighting the co-pilot who was stabbing him. He managed to open the door,” the journalist said.

According to Israeli authorities, the co-pilot intended to crash the aircraft. The plane also plunged thousands of metres before a reserve crew and passengers were able to intervene and land it safely.

The Indian embassy said it was monitoring his condition and was in touch with his family. The embassy said Machchhar was reported to be stable and that it hoped he would recover from his injuries at the earliest.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Machchhar, saying the Indian captain showed “extraordinary bravery” and helped prevent a catastrophic disaster.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump also praised the captain, calling him hero who helped prevent the aircraft from crashing.

“He took the stick and levelled out the plane before it could crash,” Trump said, adding that Machchhar, despite being stabbed, had the presence of mind to open the cockpit door.

Trump described the co-pilot as a terrorist who had stabbed Machchhar and said the injured pilot showed remarkable presence of mind by opening the cockpit door.

“A terrorist... he stabbed the pilot... the pilot in bad shape had the sense to, amazing, a hero, to open the door!” Trump said.

Machchhar joined flydubai in 2022 after working with SpiceJet. He has around 9,750 flying hours on Boeing 737 aircraft, according to his LinkedIn profile.

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