New Delhi: The family of Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has travelled to Saudi Arabia to see him after he was attacked and wounded aboard a Flydubai flight, BJP MLA Parag Shah, who represents Mumbai’s Ghatkopar East, told ThePrint on Thursday.
Shah added that Machchhar’s parents had first flown to Dubai and were now travelling to Saudi Arabia, where the pilot is being treated.
“Smit is in Saudi Arabia. They are going there,” Shah said.
Machchhar has undergone an operation, and although the procedure has been completed, his parents have not been allowed to meet him yet.
“He was being operated on, now the operation is completed,” Shah said. “But the authorities there are still not letting the parents meet due to protocols and security reasons.”
According to Shah, the family is also refusing to speak to the media at present since they do not have any update about Machchhar’s condition.
“The family doesn’t want to speak to the media yet because they don’t have any new information,” he said. “As soon as we have the update, we will definitely share.”
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Ghatkopar to Dubai
Machchhar, a resident of Ghatkopar, had lived in Mumbai for most of his life. Shah said he moved to Dubai about four years ago after joining Flydubai. Before that, he worked with SpiceJet.
Machchhar was injured after being stabbed by his co-pilot on a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. As the aircraft plummeted, Machchhar managed to open the door to the cockpit, allowing others to come and stabilise the flight. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after the incident, and Machchhar was hailed a hero.
Shah said that people in Ghatkopar were following developments closely and were proud of Machchhar.
“All the world is chanting his name,” he said. “We can call him a true Indian hero. World leaders are also appreciating him. This is a moment of pride for every Indian.”
Machchhar’s actions have drawn praise from political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He began his career in aviation after initially studying textile engineering and later pursuing management at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute of Management. He completed his pilot training in New Zealand and joined SpiceJet in 2011.
He spent about 11 years with the airline, becoming a senior commander and training captain. In June 2022, he joined Flydubai as a captain and moved to Dubai. His LinkedIn profile lists more than 9,750 hours of flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft.