Stories
Indian Aviation Heroes: Neerja Bhanot & Smit Machchhar's Courageous Acts
- •Neerja Bhanot, a senior flight purser, was killed in 1986 while helping passengers escape the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi.
- •Bhanot alerted the cockpit crew, hid American passengers' passports, and helped hundreds escape, receiving the Ashoka Chakra posthumously.
- •Captain Smit Machchhar was injured in 2026 during a violent cockpit confrontation on flydubai Flight FZ1073 but helped regain control of the aircraft.
- •Machchhar, despite being stabbed, opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to restrain the attacker and divert the plane safely.
- •Both incidents, though decades apart and different in nature, highlight the extraordinary risks and heroism of Indian aviation professionals.
Key Questions Answered
Four armed men from the Abu Nidal Organisation hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi on September 5, 1986. Senior flight purser Neerja Bhanot alerted the cockpit crew, who escaped, leaving the cabin crew to manage the 17-hour crisis. Bhanot hid American passports and was tragically killed while helping passengers escape during the final shootout.
Neerja Bhanot was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, in 1987, becoming its youngest and first female recipient. In 2006, she also received a posthumous Special Courage Award from the US Office for Victims of Crimes as part of the Pan Am crew recognition.
On September 30, 2026, Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, causing the plane to plunge rapidly. Despite his injuries, Machchhar fought to regain control and opened the cockpit door so passengers and crew could restrain the attacker, enabling a safe diversion to Saudi Arabia.
