Flydubai pilot reaches Abu Dhabi for further treatment

Captain Smit Machchhar, seriously injured during a cockpit incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, has arrived in Abu Dhabi for further medical treatment after receiving initial care in Saudi Arabia, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday. The flight, carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, landed safely in Tabuk on September 30. Passengers later reached Israel safely. The Indian Embassy in the UAE said Machchhar was in good health and recovering well. Ambassador Deepak Mittal visited him and his family at the hospital, and the embassy said it remained in contact with local authorities to support his care. The MEA said Indian diplomatic missions were also in touch with authorities regarding the case. No detailed medical assessment or recovery timeline has been publicly provided. Reports say the copilot allegedly attacked Machchhar in the cockpit. The aircraft then lost altitude before passengers and crew entered the cockpit and restrained the copilot, allowing other pilots aboard to help bring the plane to Tabuk. The precise sequence of events and the copilot’s actions and intentions have not been established by investigators. The flight’s 174 occupants survived.