After Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan Praises Captain Smit Machchhar For Saving 174 Lives: ‘Country Is Proud'

Shah Rukh Khan has praised Captain Smit Machchhar for protecting passengers during the Flydubai flight emergency. His message follows Salman Khan’s tribute.

Shah Rukh Khan hails Captain Smit Machchhar.

Source : Twitter

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Captain Smit Machchhar attacked, opened cockpit door despite injuries.
• Crew and passengers intervened, flight safely diverted to Tabuk.
• Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, others praised pilot's courage.

Shah Rukh Khan has praised Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage during the Flydubai flight emergency in which he was attacked and stabbed by his co-pilot. Despite suffering injuries, the Indian pilot reportedly managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. The flight, carrying 174 people, was later diverted safely to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Shah Rukh applauded Machchhar for putting the safety of everyone on board ahead of his own. His message came a day after Salman Khan also praised the pilot, with several other Bollywood celebrities joining in to commend his actions and wish him a speedy recovery.

Shah Rukh Khan Praises Captain Smit

Shah Rukh Khan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to acknowledge Captain Smit Machchhar's actions during the mid-air emergency.

He 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…”

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.…

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) October 3, 2026

The actor's post came shortly after Salman Khan also expressed his admiration for the pilot. On Friday night, Salman wrote on X, “Kamaal kar diya pilot ji, hum sab aap ko salute karte hain (You’ve done a fantastic job, Pilot-ji; we all salute you). Will be a pleasure to fly with u. Well done, bro. Capt #SmitMachchhar.”

Bollywood Celebrities Laud Pilot

Several other names from the Hindi film industry have also reacted to the incident and praised Machchhar.

Karan Johar shared a photograph of the captain and highlighted the decision to prioritise others despite being in danger himself. He wrote, “It takes another grain of courage to be fighting for your own life, but in that split second, put the lives of all others before yours. And that's what Captain Smit Machchhar did in the face of the toughest times. And for that, the entire country & humankind are behind you! Thank you for your selfless, courageous, and brave heart; you are an inspiration for the generations to come.”

Vicky Kaushal referred to Machchhar as a “braveheart”, while Ranveer Singh praised him as “courageous”. Paresh Rawal, R Madhavan, Vijay Deverakonda and Ravi Kishan were also among those who shared messages of support and wished the pilot a speedy recovery.

Flydubai Flight Emergency

Captain Smit Machchhar was operating Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to the information provided, 174 people were on board, including 27 children.

On September 30, while the aircraft was flying over Saudi Arabia, Machchhar was attacked inside the cockpit by his co-pilot. Despite being injured, he managed to open the cockpit door. This allowed passengers and crew members to intervene and overpower the attacker. Two other pilots travelling on the flight subsequently assisted in taking control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted to Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Machchhar was taken to hospital after the incident. He later spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed and reportedly described how he opened the cockpit door despite his injuries, enabling others to step in and help stop the attacker. The incident has since drawn widespread attention, with actors across Bollywood publicly acknowledging Machchhar's actions and wishing him a full recovery.