Mumbai, October 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Bollywood star Salman Khan has praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage and presence of mind during a mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight, saying it would be a pleasure to fly with him.
Taking to X, Salman wrote: “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.”
The actor’s message came after Flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board, was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, following an alleged attack on Captain Machchhar by his co-pilot inside the cockpit.
According to the account provided, Machchhar was seriously injured but managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew members to intervene. The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Tabuk.
Salman’s tribute is among several messages from Bollywood personalities praising the captain’s actions during the incident.
Actor Anil Kapoor also shared a tribute, revealing that his business manager Jalal had known Machchhar since their flying-school days. Kapoor recalled that Jalal had always regarded the pilot as someone he would want beside him in a difficult situation.
“What Smit did in that moment was nothing short of extraordinary. It takes immense courage to stay strong and put others first,” Kapoor wrote, while wishing Machchhar a speedy recovery.
Vicky Kaushal shared a picture of the pilot in the cockpit and described him as a “Braveheart”.
Sunny Deol praised Machchhar’s courage and presence of mind, saying his actions helped avert a potentially serious situation and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Tamannaah Bhatia also highlighted the responsibility the captain carried during the crisis, while R. Madhavan joined the tributes and prayed for Machchhar’s recovery.
The incident has drawn widespread attention, with several public figures using social media to acknowledge the captain’s actions and wish him well.
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