Captain Smit Machchhar's Health Is Improving: Foreign Ministry

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who was injured in an attack by his co-pilot on a flydubai plane, is responding well after operation at a hospital in Abu Dhabi and his health is improving, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this during his bi-weekly media briefing.

"Capt Machchhar is in a hospital in Abu Dhabi. Our Embassy in the UAE has been in regular touch with his family, his doctors, and hospital and local authorities there, so as to get the latest update about his health," he said.

"According to the information that we have, his health is improving, and after operation, he is in the stage of recuperation. He is responding well," Jaiswal said.

On flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30, Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot, an Omani citizen, with a crash axe, typically kept in the cockpit for use in emergencies, seriously injuring him. The motive for the attack remains unclear.

The Israel-bound flight carrying 174 passengers transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet. The captain was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane was descending and decided to make "one last push" to open the cockpit door.

On October 1, India's ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, said that Machchhar was "in good health and recovering well". Mittal visited Captain Machchhar at the hospital.

Two reserve pilots landed the aircraft safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk city, where the co-pilot was taken into custody and Machchhar was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi.

Jaiswal was also asked about Pakistan's recent claims regarding infiltration at the border.

"A country that has for years encouraged cross-border terrorism... this has become sort of their nature to speak lies, put forth falsehood. I can only say, no matter how much they try, the drama on television cannot change the ground reality," he said without elaborating.

The MEA earlier in a statement had said, "India also categorically rejected the baseless and motivated allegations regarding an incident in the Ferozepur sector, Punjab, along the International Border on October 2."

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