Smit Machchhar: Former SpiceJet pilot at the centre of flydubai mid-air emergency
Smit Machchhar, who spent around 11 years with SpiceJet before joining flydubai in 2022, was the captain of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 involved in Wednesday’s mid-air emergency.
- Sep 30, 2026,
- Updated Sep 30, 2026 8:05 PM IST
Smit Machchhar, an Indian national and former SpiceJet pilot, was the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073 that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday following a reported confrontation in the cockpit.
Machchhar joined flydubai in 2022 after spending about 11 years with SpiceJet, according to information available from his LinkedIn profile and people familiar with the matter. He was reportedly the pilot in command of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Machchhar has been a captain on flydubai’s Boeing 737 fleet since June 2022. He joined the airline as a direct-entry captain, a route through which airlines recruit experienced pilots who have already commanded aircraft at another carrier.
Before joining flydubai, Machchhar spent around 11 years with SpiceJet in Mumbai. His roles included senior commander and, from November 2020, line training captain, where he trained and checked other pilots.
His profile lists around 9,750 flying hours on the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command at SpiceJet.
Machchhar's profile also indicates an interest in moving into pilot training at flydubai. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Welingkar Institute of Management.
MUST READ: 'Pilot tried to crash the plane': Netanyahu shares dramatic details on Flydubai flight
What happened on flight FZ1073?
FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with around 174 passengers when an incident involving the two pilots unfolded more than two hours into the flight.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered as A6-FKF, descending sharply from around 34,000 feet during the incident. It subsequently transmitted emergency signals before diverting to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft initially transmitted squawk 7700, the international code for a general emergency, followed by 7500, associated with unlawful interference.
Reports said Machchhar was attacked by the co-pilot, identified in reports as an Omani national. Machchhar was reportedly injured in the confrontation but managed to regain control of the aircraft. Passenger accounts described shouting and a struggle in the cockpit, with passengers and crew members reportedly intervening.
However, the precise sequence of events has not been conclusively established.
Safe landing in Saudi Arabia
After the incident, the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, where Machchhar and the co-pilot were taken to hospital. His condition was not immediately known.
Flydubai said the aircraft was ultimately secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight and landed safely. The airline confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.
Flydubai has described the event only as an “incident while en route” and has not publicly confirmed the reported details of the confrontation or the pilots' nationalities.
The airline said the underlying reasons and motives remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation. Saudi and Israeli authorities are investigating the incident, while flydubai is conducting its own internal inquiry.
DO READ: 14,000 feet in 29 seconds: Flydubai flight's dramatic drop after pilots' mid-air fight
Smit Machchhar, an Indian national and former SpiceJet pilot, was the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073 that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday following a reported confrontation in the cockpit.
Machchhar joined flydubai in 2022 after spending about 11 years with SpiceJet, according to information available from his LinkedIn profile and people familiar with the matter. He was reportedly the pilot in command of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Machchhar has been a captain on flydubai’s Boeing 737 fleet since June 2022. He joined the airline as a direct-entry captain, a route through which airlines recruit experienced pilots who have already commanded aircraft at another carrier.
Before joining flydubai, Machchhar spent around 11 years with SpiceJet in Mumbai. His roles included senior commander and, from November 2020, line training captain, where he trained and checked other pilots.
His profile lists around 9,750 flying hours on the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command at SpiceJet.
Machchhar's profile also indicates an interest in moving into pilot training at flydubai. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Welingkar Institute of Management.
MUST READ: 'Pilot tried to crash the plane': Netanyahu shares dramatic details on Flydubai flight
What happened on flight FZ1073?
FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with around 174 passengers when an incident involving the two pilots unfolded more than two hours into the flight.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered as A6-FKF, descending sharply from around 34,000 feet during the incident. It subsequently transmitted emergency signals before diverting to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft initially transmitted squawk 7700, the international code for a general emergency, followed by 7500, associated with unlawful interference.
Reports said Machchhar was attacked by the co-pilot, identified in reports as an Omani national. Machchhar was reportedly injured in the confrontation but managed to regain control of the aircraft. Passenger accounts described shouting and a struggle in the cockpit, with passengers and crew members reportedly intervening.
However, the precise sequence of events has not been conclusively established.
Safe landing in Saudi Arabia
After the incident, the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, where Machchhar and the co-pilot were taken to hospital. His condition was not immediately known.
Flydubai said the aircraft was ultimately secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight and landed safely. The airline confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.
Flydubai has described the event only as an “incident while en route” and has not publicly confirmed the reported details of the confrontation or the pilots' nationalities.
The airline said the underlying reasons and motives remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation. Saudi and Israeli authorities are investigating the incident, while flydubai is conducting its own internal inquiry.
DO READ: 14,000 feet in 29 seconds: Flydubai flight's dramatic drop after pilots' mid-air fight