From textile engineering to cockpit hero: Indian pilot wins praise after flydubai drama

"In the face of the gravest danger and despite being ​seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others."Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu called him a "true hero".Machchhar is recovering in a hospital in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk, where his flight was diverted on Wednesday after the co-pilot reportedly ​stabbed him mid-air in an attempt to crash the plane carrying 174 people, according to….

This allowed passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot, while two flydubai pilots travelling as passengers helped land the aircraft.The veteran Boeing 737 captain, who has logged nearly 9,750 flying hours over a career spanning about 15 years, arrived in ​aviation relatively late.Read: Pilot on Tel Aviv-bound flight tried to crash plane"Unlike a lot of other aviators right now, aviation was not a childhood dream," Machchhar said in an interview….

"It came along much later in my life."Machchhar, seen in the interview and in social media pictures with a neatly trimmed ‌beard, worked ⁠with Indian commercial airline SpiceJet for more than a decade before joining flydubai in 2022, his LinkedIn profile says.After school, he enrolled in a textile engineering course with the aim of continuing the family's business before pursuing management studies at Mumbai's Welingkar Institute of Management.It was there,….

He spent 11 years with SpiceJet and ​the past four years with flydubai.In his career, he recalled having to divert flights for medical emergencies ​and delay departures over ⁠seemingly minor technical issues."Delay is not my problem.

As long as you're walking out of the aircraft is what I want," he said.He has also spoken about keeping aviation separate from his personal life."When I get out of the cockpit or the aircraft, I don't want the other guy to ⁠know that ​I'm a pilot," he said.

"I don't want to discuss aviation.

When I wear the uniform, ​then no nonsense and just do your job, finish the job.

When you walk out of the cockpit, that's it.

Someone else needs you now. ​The kids are there.

They want to play with you."

From textile engineering to cockpit hero: Indian pilot wins praise after flydubai drama Updated 10 minutes ago Pilot says when I get out of cockpit or aircraft, I don't want other guy to ⁠know that ​I'm a pilot.