New Delhi, October 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has praised Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, for his role in averting an in-flight crisis, calling the incident an “amazing example” of how people from the two countries can work together against terrorism.
Speaking to IANS, Azar said governments alone cannot effectively combat terrorism and emphasised the importance of cooperation among people as well.
“We know that in order to fight terrorism, it is not enough for governments to work together. It is essential that people work together as well, as we saw yesterday,” Azar said.
He described the actions of the pilot, passengers and crew as an example of people refusing to surrender to terrorists and taking an active role in protecting one another.
“I think this is an amazing example of how we can determine our destiny by being involved, by not surrendering to terrorists and by working together at a personal level. And this is exactly what happened yesterday,” he added.
The incident took place on Wednesday aboard the Boeing 737, which was carrying more than 170 passengers. According to the account cited by the envoy, the co-pilot attempted to sabotage the aircraft and later stabbed Machchhar when the captain intervened.
The aircraft was cruising at around 34,000 feet when it began descending rapidly at approximately 23,000 feet per minute, reaching an altitude of about 15,600 feet. Machchhar resisted the co-pilot and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to overpower him.
Asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken about the incident, Azar said he was not aware of any conversation between the two leaders at that point.
He, however, said the counter-terrorism agencies of India and Israel remained in constant contact and would continue sharing information and working together.
Earlier, Azar had expressed concern for Machchhar’s recovery, describing him as an experienced and gifted pilot.
“Together with Israel, India, UAE, I pray for the life of Captain Smit Machchhar, the experienced and gifted hero Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073. His courage & the courage of other Israeli & Emirati passengers and crew members saved the lives of 180 souls,” he posted on X.
Azar ended the message with a call for unity against terrorism: “United against terrorism.”
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