On a Dubai‑Tel Aviv flight, Captain Smit Machchhar intervened to avert a mid‑air disaster, rescuing 174 passengers, 27 of them children.
The incident, which took place before the pandemic, drew praise from world leaders and cemented Machchhar’s reputation as a seasoned line training captain.
When Prakhar Gupta, a former GoAir pilot, met Machchhar in Mumbai in March 2020, he was struck by the captain’s deep knowledge of aviation and calm demeanor.
Machchhar’s career began with SpiceJet in 2011, and after 11 years he joined flydubai in 2022, where he continues to train pilots on real flights.
His actions underscore the critical importance of rigorous training and quick decision‑making in commercial aviation, a lesson that flying schools worldwide now emphasize.