3 hrs ago
Netanyahu Invites Pilot and Modi to Israel Independence Day
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, spoke by phone with pilot Smit Machchhar.
The conversation followed an emergency on a flydubai flight.
One report says Machchhar was attacked in the cockpit and the plane began descending steeply.
Machchhar said he reached the inside door knob and opened the cockpit door.
The article says crew members and passengers then subdued the attacker.
Netanyahu praised Machchhar for his bravery and said he had saved many lives.
He invited Machchhar and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, to Israel’s Independence Day ceremony.
Netanyahu invited them to light a celebratory flame there.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar on Saturday.
Netanyahu praised Machchhar for his actions during a mid-air emergency on September 30.
The second article says Machchhar was attacked in the cockpit, suffered a blow to the head, and the aircraft entered a steep descent.
Machchhar said he opened the cockpit door using its interior manual knob, allowing crew and passengers to subdue the attacker.
Netanyahu invited Machchhar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel’s Independence Day ceremony, where they were invited to light a flame.
- Who
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- What
- Netanyahu praised Machchhar for his actions during a mid-air emergency and invited him and Modi to Israel’s Independence Day ceremony.
- Where
- The emergency occurred aboard a flydubai flight; Netanyahu spoke with Machchhar by telephone. The ceremony is in Israel.
- When
- Netanyahu spoke with Machchhar on Saturday; the emergency was reported as occurring on September 30. The second article was published October 4, 2026.
- Why
- Netanyahu said he was honoring Machchhar for his bravery and actions during the emergency.
Key facts
- Pilot
- flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar
- Israeli prime minister
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- Emergency date
- September 30
- Reported cockpit action
- Machchhar said he opened the cockpit door by turning its interior manual knob.
- Response aboard the aircraft
- The second article says crew members and passengers entered the flight deck and subdued the attacker.
- Ceremony invitation
- Netanyahu invited Machchhar and Narendra Modi to Israel’s Independence Day ceremony.
- Ceremony honor
- Netanyahu invited them to light a celebratory flame.
- Lives reportedly saved
- The second article says Netanyahu credited Machchhar with saving more than 170 lives.
Quotes
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister
“You saved so many souls. I think you saved something bigger. You saved the spirit of the world to realise that a brave pilot and brave passengers can overcome this evil… You’re a hero of Israel, you’re a hero of India, you’re a hero of the entire world.”
NDTV
news18.com
“I invite you to light a torch at Israel's Independence Day ceremony.”
NDTV
Captain Smit Machchhar
Indian pilot who opened the cockpit door during the flight emergency
“From the outside, it can be only opened with a code… the only way to open the door was to reach the knob and like any other knob, just to twist it open and it opens on its own. So there is no pin, but yes, the door, it was a short, quick twist, but the point was to reach that place.”
news18.com
Sources
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