Smit Machchhar

Smit Machchhar
Occupation	Airline pilot
Years active	2011–present
Employer	Flydubai
Known for	Flydubai Flight 1073 incident

Smit Machchhar is an Indian commercial airline pilot who serves as a captain with Flydubai. He previously worked for SpiceJet, where he was a senior commander and later a line training captain. He joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain and has flown Boeing 737 aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737 MAX variants.

Machchhar was the captain of Flydubai Flight 1073 on September 30, 2026, when an altercation occurred in the flight deck during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an emergency was declared. Machchhar and the other pilot were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.

Early career

Machchhar joined SpiceJet in June 2011 and spent about 11 years with the airline. He became a senior commander and later worked as a line training captain, a role that involved training and checking pilots. He held the line training captain position from November 2020 until he left the airline in 2022.

During his time at SpiceJet, Machchhar accumulated more than 9,500 hours of flying experience, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command. His experience included Boeing 737 aircraft and work related to pilot training, crew resource management and flight standards.

Flydubai

Machchhar joined flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. His professional profile lists more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and about 9,750 hours on Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft. More than 6,400 of his recorded flying hours were as pilot in command.

At flydubai, Machchhar has flown the airline's Boeing 737 fleet. His earlier experience as a line training captain at SpiceJet included the training and checking of other pilots.

Flydubai Flight 1073 incident

Main article: Flydubai Flight 1073

On September 30, 2026, Machchhar was the pilot in command of flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

An altercation occurred in the flight deck while the aircraft was en route. Flydubai said that the aircraft was subsequently secured by on-duty crew members travelling on the flight and diverted to Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The airline said that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.

Flight-tracking data showed a rapid loss of altitude during the flight. The aircraft later transmitted emergency signals, including a transponder code associated with unlawful interference. It subsequently diverted to Tabuk, where both pilots were taken to hospital.

Machchhar sustained stab wounds during the incident and underwent surgery after the aircraft landed. Reports on September 30 said that he was in stable condition following treatment.

The other pilot was an Omani national. Israeli officials and several news organisations reported that the confrontation involved an attempt to take control of the aircraft. Reuters reported that passengers, assisted by a crew member, entered the cockpit and subdued the other pilot before the aircraft was landed by another set of pilots.

The circumstances and motive behind the confrontation remained under investigation. Flydubai initially described the event as an incident while the aircraft was en route and said that it was working with the relevant authorities.

Personal life

Machchhar is based in Dubai and is from Mumbai. His brother is also a commercial pilot and works for Akasa Air.