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PM Modi Praises Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar's Family for Courage and Values
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News18•02-10-2026, 13:27
PM Modi Praises Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar's Family for Courage and Values
- •PM Modi spoke in Gujarati with Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, commending his family's strength during a difficult incident.
- •The Prime Minister praised Smit's mother, Geeta behen, for instilling strong values, likening her to preserving Krishna's Geeta.
- •PM Modi expressed surprise at the composure and courage shown by Smit's wife, Sonal behen, during their conversation.
- •Machchhar revealed he recites the Hanuman Chalisa in challenging situations, including during the in-flight attack.
- •Despite being attacked by his co-pilot, Machchhar ensured the cockpit door was opened, leading to a safe emergency landing of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 with all 174 people surviving.
Key Questions Answered
PM Modi spoke with Captain Smit Machchhar in Gujarati, praising the pilot's family and acknowledging the strength, courage, and composure shown by his parents and wife during the difficult incident.
Despite suffering serious injuries after being attacked by his co-pilot while flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Machchhar managed to respond and helped enable the cockpit door to be opened so cabin crew and passengers could intervene. He later revealed that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa during the challenging moments.
Following the cockpit incident, Flydubai Flight FZ1073 made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, ensuring that all 174 people on board survived.
