On 30 September 2026, a Flydubai FZ1073 bound for Tel Aviv was hijacked when its co‑pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, sending the aircraft into a 14,000‑foot freefall.
Modern reinforced cockpit doors barred outside entry, but the wounded captain wrestled the lock from inside, allowing cabin crew to breach and overpower the assailant.
The crew neutralised the attacker, and Machchhar regained control for a safe emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, saving about 180 passengers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the pilot’s heroism, sparking a global wave of praise.
Google Trends data show India’s search interest spiked after the incident, with queries about the pilot’s survival and caste reflecting national curiosity and the human instinct to seek reassurance.