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LONDON: The leaders of Israel and India hailed Indian pilot Smit Machchhar as a hero for saving passengers after he was stabbed by his colleague in an alleged attempt to crash a\u00a0flydubai\u00a0plane on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin\u00a0Netanyahu\u00a0said on Wednesday it was too early to say who was behind the foiled bid to crash a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv but that Israel would “possibly” be participating in the probe into the incident.<\/p>\n
“It’s too early to say, the attacking pilot is .. now being investigated in Saudi Arabia. I think he’ll be taken to the Emirates, where he comes from, or at least where he left, where he flew off from, and we’ll be following and possibly also participating in this investigation,”\u00a0Netanyahu\u00a0said in an interview to Fox News host Sean Hannity on the network’s “Hannity” program.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu’s comment came in response to a question about whether there was any indication of Iranian involvement in the incident.<\/p>\n
Passengers on the flight reached\u00a0Israel safely on Wednesday after customers and crew foiled the co-pilot’s attempt to crash the aircraft, Israeli officials said.<\/p>\n
In a post on X early on Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Machchhar, calling him a \u201chero\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 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. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy,\u201d Modi said.<\/p>\n
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said the injured captain, Smit Machchhar, was in a stable condition in a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
The Boeing 737 MAX he was flying, which was on its way from the UAE to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing at the city\u2019s airport on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised Machchhar, who was wounded when his co-pilot attacked him in what Israeli authorities said was an attempt to crash the aircraft and kill all those on board.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy salute to the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, for his extraordinary bravery,\u201d Netanyahu wrote in a message posted on social media platform X.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back \u2026 preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu\u2019s spokesperson told Reuters that Machchhar was covered with blood and on the floor when he managed to press the release that opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers in to tackle the attacker.<\/p>\n
Indian embassy officials said they were monitoring the condition of \u201cthe brave Indian pilot\u201d and added: \u201cA full update on his health is awaited but he is reported to be in stable condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope that he recovers from his injuries at the earliest. We are in touch with his family and assure them that we will continue to follow up on his health with Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Flydubai jet was more than two hours into its flight and close to the border with Jordan when it suddenly plummeted almost 5,000 meters and sent out an emergency signal. A reserve crew that was on board was able to take over the controls after the attacker was subdued, and landed the aircraft at Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk.<\/p>\n
Israeli authorities said the co-pilot intended to crash the plane, which had 160 Israeli passengers on board.<\/p>\n
Machchhar joined FlyDubai in 2022 from the Indian airline Spicejet, according to his LinkedIn profile.<\/p>\n
He has 9,750 flying hours in the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8\/9, and 13 years of commercial flying experience in the Boeing 737 fleet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n