US official, AJC praise Indian pilot for averting Flydubai hijacking

US Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau and the American Jewish Committee commended Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his heroic actions in preventing a hijacking on a Flydubai flight, saving over 170 passengers bound for Tel Aviv.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, alongside the Seattle regional chapter of the American Jewish Committee, has commended Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his exemplary actions in preventing an attempted hijacking aboard a Flydubai service operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Expressing his admiration via social media, Landau praised Captain Machchhar and the passengers on Flydubai flight FZ1073 for averting a major security disaster. “I’d like to express my utmost respect and, frankly, awe to Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073, and to Yaniv Huyan and the other mostly Israeli passengers on that flight for preventing what would have been one of the world’s most horrific terrorist incidents,” Landau stated. I’d like to express my utmost respect and, frankly, awe to Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073, and to Yaniv Huyan and the other mostly Israeli passengers on that flight for preventing what would have been one of the world’s most horrific terrorist incidents. In a world in which machines and technology do so much for us, it’s really inspiring to read about raw acts of courage by people who are just living their normal lives and not anticipating such a challenge. The nations of India and Israel should be very proud! 🇮🇳✈️🇮🇱 — Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) October 3, 2026

Emphasising the human element during the crisis, he remarked, “In a world in which machines and technology do so much for us, it’s really inspiring to read about raw acts of courage by people who are just living their normal lives and not anticipating such a challenge.”

He further added, “The nations of India and Israel should be very proud!”

AJC Extends Gratitude and Commendation

In a separate communication, the Seattle office of the American Jewish Committee addressed a formal letter to India’s Consul General in Seattle, Prakash Gupta, conveying deep gratitude for Captain Machchhar’s intervention during the incident. The organisation noted that it shares the sentiments expressed by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the pilot’s bravery. Saluting the courage and valour of Captain Smit Machchhar! Thank AJC’s Seattle Leadership for their worthy commendation for Captain Machchhar. He indeed represents: “the best of India”! We, join the AJC, in wishing him “refuah shleimah”, i.e. a complete healing. ( 1 October 2026, Seattle) @MEAIndia @IndianEmbassyUS @AmbVMKwatra — India In Seattle (@IndiainSeattle) October 3, 2026

“We echo Prime Ministers Modi and Netanyahu in characterising Captain Machchhar as a hero; without his presence of mind, even while gravely injured, over 170 passengers (including over 25 children) would not have survived this terrifying experience,” the AJC Seattle correspondence noted.

Invoking traditional tenets, the organisation added, “Jewish tradition teaches that saving one life is tantamount to saving the entire world (Sanhedrin 37a). Captain Machchhar’s actions saved over 170 entire worlds, and we commend his courage.”

Extending wishes for his convalescence, the AJC chapter noted, “In Hebrew, we say ‘refuah shleimah', literally, ‘complete healing’.” The letter elaborated, “With those words, we pray for healing not only of the body but also of the spirit and the mind, because life-and-death experiences often leave scars which are invisible to the human eye.”

Highlighting regional community bonds, the organisation stated, “We deeply value the local relationship between Jews and Indians across the Puget Sound, and know that our friendship here reflects a worldwide brotherhood between our two communities.”

The statement further added the observation that “Captain Smit Machchhar represents the best of India, and we remain forever indebted to him for his role in stopping what could easily have been a tragedy of global proportions.” (ANI)

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