Mumbai: Bollywood celebrities have joined tributes to Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, after he was seriously injured during a cockpit incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, and was diverted to Saudi Arabia after a rapid descent.
Celebs Praise Captain Smit Machchhar
Shah Rukh Khan praised Machchhar for putting passengers’ safety before his own, calling it “a true display of courage and duty” and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Captain Smit Machchhar, you stood strong when it mattered the most!! It’s not easy to stare adversity in the face and put one’s safety on the line… but you did just that to protect those onboard and showed us what being a Captain entails. A true display of courage and duty.…
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) October 3, 2026
Salman Khan saluted the pilot, while Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Sunny Deol and Tamannaah Bhatia also praised his courage.
Captain Smit Machchhar, extraordinary courage and presence of mind when it mattered most.
You helped avert a disaster and save lives. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Salute. 🇮🇳🙏 pic.twitter.com/kO4w9nZcVE
— Sunny Deol (@iamsunnydeol) October 2, 2026
Anil Kapoor shared a personal connection, recalling that his friend had known Machchhar since flying school and had recognised his character early on.
When this happened, Jalal told me he knows Smit since flying school and had always known him to be someone he’d want by his side in a difficult situation.
It made me think about how much courage Smit must have had, right from the beginning, for the people around him to recognise… pic.twitter.com/1EHykR1iz2
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) October 2, 2026
Tributes also came from R Madhavan, Paresh Rawal, Vijay Deverakonda, Sonam Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty, Jackie Shroff and Kangana Ranaut.
What Happened?
According to the reports, Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot after an alleged attempt to interfere with the aircraft. Despite being injured, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene. Two relief pilots then took control, and the plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
PM Modi also praised his presence of mind and courage.
Initially treated in Tabuk, Machchhar was later shifted to Abu Dhabi, where he continues to recover.
