On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced an altercation in the cockpit that resulted in the captain being attacked. Industry sources identified the captain as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, who had previously worked for SpiceJet. Official confirmation of his identity is still pending.
Flydubai described the event aboard flight FZ 1073 as an altercation and said that the reasons and motives behind the incident were unknown at the time of the statement. The airline added that a formal investigation would be conducted. It reported that the aircraft was secured by on‑duty crew members on the flight, who diverted the plane and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU) in Saudi Arabia. All passengers and crew were reported to be safe and accounted for.
In response to the incident, flydubai announced that flights to and from Israel would be suspended while the investigation proceeds.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh, in coordination with the Consulate in Jeddah, has been monitoring Captain Machchhar’s health. The embassy posted on X that he is admitted to a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia and receiving necessary medical attention. While a full update on his condition is awaited, the embassy stated that he is in stable condition and that it will continue to liaise with his family and Saudi authorities to provide assistance.
