Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 1 : Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Thursday praised Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar for his role in averting a major mid-air tragedy, saying the Indian pilot's "bold act" saved passengers and made the country proud.
Speaking about the Flydubai incident, Rao said, "... bold act of an Indian pilot saved passengers and made India very proud. The FlyDubai flight bound for Tel Aviv was saved by a co-pilot who aborted the attempt to crash it and stop the terrorist plans from succeeding. Now the world must fight together against terrorism. Terrorism has to be condemned in any form. India has always fought against terrorism, and all countries and nations have been with India. This incident shows that any act of terrorism threatens innocent lives. We have seen that bravery has saved them..."
Former neighbour of Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, Dr Janit Shah, on Thursday also recalled him as a talented, soft-spoken and good person, expressing hope for his speedy recovery following the mid-air incident aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
Speaking to ANI, Shah said Machchhar had been his neighbour for around 10-15 years before moving to Dubai about two to three years ago.
"Smit Machchhar is a talented, soft-spoken, and good man. He was my neighbor for the last 10-15 years before he shifted to Dubai 2-3 years ago," Shah said.
Another neighbour of Captain Smit Machchhar also expressed concern over his condition and wished him a speedy recovery.
"We want him to be fine. We wish him a speedy recovery. He is the bravest person in the whole building," she said.
The remarks came after Flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia following a violent incident in the cockpit.
According to reports, the flight experienced a serious altercation between the pilots after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar. The aircraft subsequently went into a rapid descent, with Reuters reporting that it dropped nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers and crew intervened, while reserve Flydubai pilots on board eventually took control and landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk.
The flight was carrying 174 people, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Machchhar, was injured in the incident and was taken to a hospital in Tabuk.
Reports said he underwent surgery and was in stable condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised Machchhar's courage following the incident, expressing hope for his speedy recovery. The captain has been widely credited by officials and passengers with helping prevent a potentially catastrophic outcome despite sustaining injuries.
Rao also used the incident to call for a collective response to terrorism, saying that attacks or acts of violence that threaten civilian lives must be condemned.
Flydubai has described the incident as an altercation on the flight deck and urged against premature speculation, saying that the underlying reasons and motives remained unknown and were subject to a formal investigation. Saudi authorities are also investigating the incident.
The passengers later continued their journey to Tel Aviv on a replacement aircraft after the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.