Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero after helping prevent a Flydubai passenger aircraft from crashing when his co-pilot allegedly stabbed him and tried to take control of the Boeing 737.

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when an altercation broke out between two pilots. The aircraft was later diverted to Saudi Arabia and made an emergency landing in Tabuk. All 174 passengers and crew members reached safety.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar for his actions during the incident. "Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. 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. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy. India is proud of Captain Machchhar. Praying for his speedy recovery, renewed strength and good health," Modi said in a post on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised the pilot. "He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals," Netanyahu said in a post on X. He had earlier said in a video statement that all passengers were out of harm's way.

A spokesperson for Netanyahu told Reuters that Machchhar was covered in blood and lying on the cockpit floor after being attacked. Despite his injuries, he managed to release the cockpit door. This allowed passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the co-pilot. Two other Flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft also reached the cockpit and helped land the plane in Saudi Arabia. Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, was later taken for surgery.

US President Donald Trump also called Machchhar a "hero" while speaking about the incident at the Oval Office. Trump said he spoke to Netanyahu, who had briefed him about what happened on the flight.

"The pilot was in very bad shape; I guess he still is in very bad shape, but he had the sense to, amazing, to, in a way he was a hero," Trump said.

Trump also spoke about an Israeli passenger who helped restrain the co-pilot. He identified the passenger as a plumber and said he entered the cockpit, pulled the co-pilot from his seat and restrained him with help from other passengers. The passenger had reportedly never flown an aircraft. Trump said the man had learnt basic flying concepts from watching the television programme Air Disasters.

Machchhar has served as a Flydubai Boeing 737 captain since June 2022, according to the Hindustan Times. Before joining the airline, he worked with SpiceJet for more than 11 years and also trained other pilots. His LinkedIn profile says he has more than 9,750 hours of flying experience.

Machchhar's brother is also a pilot. Media reports said he previously worked with Akasa Air before recently joining Flydubai. An old interview in which Machchhar discussed challenges faced by pilots has also resurfaced on social media.

The motive behind the cockpit altercation remains unclear. Flydubai said the reasons behind the incident are not known and warned against "premature speculation". The airline has suspended flights to and from Israel during the investigation.

Netanyahu called the incident a "highly severe security incident" and said Saudi authorities would question the co-pilot. Initial reports described the incident as a possible hijacking, but Israeli authorities later clarified that it was not a hijacking.

The aircraft reportedly dropped thousands of feet during the struggle. CNN reported that it descended from about 34,000 feet to around 20,000 feet within two minutes.