MUMBAI: The family of Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian flydubai pilot who was injured after allegedly being attacked by his co-pilot during a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, on Saturday said he was receiving the best possible medical treatment at a secure military hospital.The family also expressed pride in his bravery and relief after seeing him speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.Speaking to ANI, Machchhar’s father-in-law, Jaysukh Jogi, said leaders and citizens from across the country and abroad had reached out to the family to praise the captain’s courage.“We are very happy that the entire nation is with us. The top leaders of the country are with us, and even global leaders are standing with us. Everyone is feeling proud of Smit’s bravery. Leaders from all over have praised and saluted him. They are also saluting us, acknowledging that a member of our family has performed such a monumental and brave deed. We are extremely proud of him,” he said.
Smit Machchhar receiving treatment at military hospital
Jogi said Machchhar was receiving proper treatment at the military hospital, where security was also a major concern for the family.“His treatment is going on properly over there, and they are very satisfied with it. We were initially concerned about whether there would be proper security or not, but they told us that it is a military hospital. Inside the military hospital, you have to go about 1.5 to 2 kilometres from the main gate before reaching the hospital building itself,” he said.Machchhar suffered serious injuries to his head and hands while fighting off his co-pilot inside the cockpit and attempting to unlock the door to alert the cabin crew and passengers.“He is receiving the best possible treatment, though it will take some time for him to recover. Most of his injuries are on his head and hands. When he was trying to open the door, he was being hit, which is why he suffered injuries on his hands and head in several places. He sustained injuries in multiple spots, so it will take some time to recover,” he added.
Smit Machchhar family relieved after seeing him speak to PM Modi
Kishore Machchhar, uncle of the pilot, said the family felt relieved after seeing Smit on television during his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.“I feel so proud. Love is being poured from everywhere. Even those who didn’t know us before are greeting us respectfully! Most of all, we felt relieved seeing him on television yesterday and knowing that he is okay. May he come home as soon as possible. We were very stressed because he was in another country. We didn’t know where they took him. Then we got to know that he is receiving treatment at the hospital. Some men from the company delivered the message to us that he is okay, but we were not satisfied. Then yesterday, when he spoke to the Prime Minister and we saw him, we took a breath,” he said.“Machchhar is a simple man, focused on his work. He is also very religious,” he noted.Sonal Machchhar, Smit Machchhar’s aunt, also spoke about his personality and said the family was reassured after seeing him interact with PM Modi.“He was a very calm child. He has been a very good kid and now has shown great bravery. We felt relieved after seeing him speaking to PM Modi. We saw in the video that he is very injured, but he will be fine.”
Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar injured after co-pilot attack
The remarks came after the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar was injured after being attacked by his co-pilot but managed to reach the cockpit door despite his injuries and helped ensure the aircraft landed safely.Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’ for Machchhar, praising his courage and presence of mind during the incident.Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised Machchhar for his “patience, presence of mind, and courage”, saying his actions had helped prevent a “9/11-style tragedy”.(With ANI inputs)
