Speedy recovery of 'global hero' pilot is Mumbai neighbourhood's main concern

Mumbai: In a quiet corner of suburban Mumbai, the headlines that Captain Smit Machchhar was making globally have brought a sudden wave of pride and anxiety to the neighbourhood where he grew up.

At Swastik Heights Society in Chembur where Machchhar's parents live, neighbours have been checking in on the family since late Wednesday evening, when news broke of the dramatic incident involving the Flydubai pilot. "He is now a global hero, but we are concerned about his safety and wish him a speedy recovery," said neighbour Kailash Gandhi.

Machchhar, 39, was the pilot onboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after reportedly plunging to around 14,000 feet. According to reports, the co-pilot, an Omani national, attacked Machchhar and tried to crash the aircraft.


As news of the incident spread, neighbours began arriving at the Machchhar residence. His wife and children live with him in Dubai while his parents are in Mumbai.

"When we heard the news and learnt that his parents had also been asked to fly to Saudi Arabia, I decided to drop them at the airport," said neighbour Akshay Doshi.

"The parents looked tense, and rightly so, during the journey. As neighbours, it is our job to pitch in during an emergency. He is now a national hero and all we want is for him to recover quickly," Doshi said.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the injured captain fought back and succeeded in opening the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to restrain the attacker. Flydubai said its crew took control of the situation and secured the aircraft.

But for the residents of Swastik Heights, Machchhar is the boy they watched grow up in Mumbai. Machchhar grew up in Ghatkopar East. His parents had migrated to the city from Gujarat and he initially planned to join the family's textile business. He enrolled for a textile engineering course, but a chance aviation seminar at the age of 19 set him on a completely different path. While his mother was apprehensive about his decision to pursue a career in aviation, his father encouraged him to follow his ambition. His brother later followed in his footsteps, becoming a commercial pilot.

He studied in Mumbai, including at the Welingkar Institute of Management in Matunga, before travelling to New Zealand for pilot training. He returned to India and spent 11 years operating from Mumbai for SpiceJet, having joined the airline in 2011. By November 2020, he had risen to the position of Line Training Captain, a role that involved training and assessing other pilots.

In June 2022, he moved to Dubai to join Flydubai, where he lives with his wife and two children.

In a podcast in 2025, Machchhar spoke about the discipline he brought to his profession and his effort to keep his work life separate from his family life. "When I wear the uniform, then there is no nonsense. You just do your job," he had said. On Wednesday, that uniform - and the man who wore it - was thrust into the glare of international headlines. As he fights to recover, an entire community prays for his safe return home.