Months before saving over 170 passengers from a mid-air disaster, the international ‘hero’ pilot Captain Smit Machchhar revealed that the everyday inconveniences of flying were the least of his concerns — as long as all aboard his plane walk out safe. The resurfaced interview from 2025 is serving as Machchhar’s uncompromising, and now eerily prophetic, philosophy on flight safety.
Survival over schedule During his appearance on the podcast with Zalak Mehta, the veteran Boeing 737 captain brushed off the pressure of flight delays caused by seemingly minor technical glitches or medical emergencies. Quick answers to key questions
During a Flydubai flight, co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar in an attempt to crash the plane, leading to a violent altercation that endangered the lives of over 170 passengers. Captain Machchhar expressed that his primary concern is the safety of passengers, stating that delays due to technical issues or medical emergencies are trivial compared to ensuring everyone exits the aircraft safely.
Despite sustaining serious injuries, Captain Machchhar activated the cockpit door release switch, allowing passengers and crew to intervene and overpower the attacker, leading to a safe landing. Captain Smit Machchhar is a seasoned pilot with over 15 years of experience, having logged nearly 9,750 hours primarily flying Boeing 737 aircraft before joining Flydubai in 2022. Captain Machchhar has been hailed as a hero by global leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his bravery and quick actions during the crisis. “Delay is not my problem,” Machchhar stated bluntly in the interview. “As long as you’re walking out of the aircraft, is what I want.”
On Wednesday, his strict safety-first ethos was put to the ultimate test when Machchhar’s co-pilot reportedly stabbed him mid-air in an attempt to crash the aircraft.
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According to Israeli officials, covered in blood on the cockpit floor and fighting severe injuries, Machchhar managed to activate the release switch to unlock the cockpit door. His quick action allowed passengers and cabin crew to overpower the co-pilot. Two other flydubai pilots travelling as passengers stepped in to assist, successfully diverting the plane to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Every single one of the 174 people on board walked out of the aircraft—exactly as Machchhar has always insisted. The pilot is now recovering in a hospital. ‘When things are going wrong…’ Machchhar had also highlighted the immense responsibility that aviation staff shoulder when a flight goes wrong.
“I’m not saying they’re trained to do surgeries and stuff, but then, they can save your life, you know?” the 50-year-old Mumbai native said in the podcast. Expressing frustration over the general public’s perception of flight attendants and crew members, the pilot emphasised that their true value is only realised during unprecedented disasters. “It is unfortunate how the entire outlook of people is there toward the crew, but when things are going wrong, you need them,” he added. A sudden career switch and mother’s fear Aviation was never a childhood dream for Machchhar. After school, he had enrolled in a textile engineering course to carry forward his family’s trade, later pursuing management studies at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute of Management.
It was during an aviation seminar there, at around the age of 19, that everything changed. “That’s where the aviation bug … really found me,” Machchhar recalled, adding that his mother was initially scared of his sudden career choice.
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“Unlike a lot of other aviators right now, aviation was not a childhood dream,” he said. “It came along much later in my life.”
Despite his mother’s early apprehension, Machchhar pursued training in New Zealand. He went on to spend 11 years with SpiceJet, rising through the ranks to become a line training captain responsible for mentoring younger pilots, before joining flydubai in 2022. Over a 15-year career, the veteran Boeing 737 captain logged nearly 9,750 flying hours. ‘Blessed’ profession despite risks Despite the extreme risks his mother once feared, Machchhar harboured no regrets about his choices. When asked during the podcast to describe how it feels to be a pilot in just one word, his answer was simple and immediate: “Blessed”. Watch the full interview here:
Global praise for ‘true hero’ The captain’s split-second composure under unimaginable distress has drawn praise from world leaders.
“Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X. “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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a “true hero”.
About the Author Arshdeep Kaur
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Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. Arshdeep’s academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets.
She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse. Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news. Home News Trends‘Delay is not my problem, as long as…’: Hero pilot Capt Smit Machchhar’s eerie foresight months before flydubai stabbing
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