Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is being praised after helping prevent a potential disaster aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel.

According to Israeli officials, Machchhar was seriously injured after his co-pilot reportedly attacked him with a knife during the flight. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to activate the cockpit door release, allowing crew members and passengers to enter and overpower the co-pilot. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers then helped land the aircraft after it was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar, who has nearly 9,750 flying hours over a career spanning around 15 years, is recovering in a Saudi hospital. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have praised his actions.

His path to aviation was unconventional. He initially studied textile engineering with plans to join his family’s business before discovering aviation at an industry seminar when he was about 19.

He later trained in New Zealand, spent 11 years with SpiceJet and joined Flydubai in 2022.

Machchhar has previously said aviation was never a childhood dream, describing it as a career he discovered later in life.