Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:48am on 01 Oct 2026,Thursday India Global
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with Indian pilot Smit Machchhar’s parents and wife, praising his courage during an alleged mid-air attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks, Modi said the captain had helped prevent a “9/11-type tragedy”. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed Machchhar aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8, causing the aircraft to plunge thousands of feet over Saudi Arabia. Passengers helped restrain the attacker before the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk. Machchhar underwent surgery and is reported to be stable. (PC: HT)
