Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 3: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday lauded Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage and presence of mind during the horrific mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight, which helped save the lives of several people onboard.

Wishing the captain a speedy recovery, Shah Rukh said the entire country was proud of him for displaying courage in extremely difficult circumstances.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Shah Rukh wrote, “Captain Smit Machchhar, you stood strong when it mattered the most!! It’s not easy to stare adversity in the face and put one’s safety on the line… but you did just that to protect those onboard and showed us what being a Captain entails. A true display of courage and duty. Wishing you a speedy recovery, the country is proud of you…(sic).”

Earlier, actor Salman Khan had also praised Captain Machchhar, saying it would be a pleasure to fly with him.

Salman wrote, “Kamaal kar diya pilot ji, hum sab aap ko salute karte hain will be a pleasure to fly with u.. Well done bro.. Capt #SmitMachchhar.”

Captain Machchhar was seriously injured aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board, after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit.

Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Several prominent personalities from the entertainment industry took to social media to pay tribute to the captain.

Actor Anil Kapoor said he had a personal connection with Machchhar through his business manager Jalal. He said Jalal had known the captain since his flying school days and had always considered him someone he would want by his side in a difficult situation.

“What Smit did in that moment was nothing short of extraordinary. It takes immense courage to stay strong and put others first,” Anil Kapoor wrote.