Captain Smit Machchhar, the Flydubai pilot who was stabbed by his co-pilot and still managed to open the cockpit door so passengers could stop the attack, is in stable condition, according to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement posted on X, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Indian Consulate in Jeddah said Machchhar is hospitalized in the city of Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia and is receiving the medical care he needs. The embassy said a full update on his health is still awaited, but that he is "reported to be in stable condition." It added that it is in contact with his family and will keep following his recovery with Saudi authorities.
Israeli officials had earlier described the captain as seriously wounded. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Reuters that Machchhar was lying on the cockpit floor, covered in blood, when he pressed the release that unlocked the door. That allowed Israeli passengers and crew members to enter and subdue the attacker.
Netanyahu praised the captain directly on X: "My salute to the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, for his extraordinary bravery." He said Machchhar fought back despite his injuries and wished him a full recovery.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called Machchhar a hero early Thursday. Modi said the captain showed great courage despite being seriously injured and that "his valour helped save hundreds of lives."
Machchhar is an Indian national and a veteran Boeing 737 pilot with about 9,750 flying hours. He joined Flydubai in 2022 after 11 years at India's SpiceJet, where he served as a senior commander and line-training captain.
The co-pilot, an Omani national, was arrested and is being questioned by Saudi authorities. His name has not been released, and his condition is unclear. Israel has classified the attack as an attempted terror attack, and President Isaac Herzog is set to honor four of the passengers who helped stop it.
