Actor Salman Khan on Saturday lauded flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his heroics during the flight FZ1073 incident, saying that it would be a pleasure to fly with him.
In a post on the social media platform X, Khan said that everybody salutes Captain Machchhar.
“Kamaal kar diya pilot ji, hum sab aap ko salute karte hain will be a pleasure to fly with u.. Well done bro.. Capt #SmitMachchhar,” Salmnan Khan wrote.
The flydubai incident
This comes after an Omani co-pilot was accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, leaving him seriously injured.
The aircraft then went into a steep descent. Machchhar later told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video call conversation on Friday that he knew the aircraft was going down and managed to open the cockpit door while injured. “I knew that the aircraft was going down … I had fallen to the ground. I told myself that the door is right there, just open it. I managed to do it, and people entered,” he said.
Passengers then entered the cockpit and helped restrain the suspect. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The flight was carrying 182 people, according to The Associated Press.
All passengers and crew survived, and no serious injuries among passengers were reported. Both pilots were taken to a hospital.
The passengers were later flown to Israel on a replacement aircraft.
Omani pilot identified, was previously flagged as security risk
Omani co-pilot linked to the flydubai incident has been identified as Hamam Al-Hammami by Al Arabiya, citing sources. However, there is no official confirmation on his identity yet.
Saudi authorities detained the co-pilot before transferring him to the UAE. Israeli officials were also expected to question him as part of the investigation.
Senior intelligence and law enforcement officials cited by ABC News said the co-pilot had previously been identified as a security risk while working with Oman Air as a trainee co-pilot in 2024.
Investigators are now examining how he was later able to join Flydubai and serve as a first officer on a flight bound for Tel Aviv.