Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar’s bravery in fighting off his Omani co-pilot after being stabbed on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and helping prevent a possible crash has earned widespread praise globally. Among those applauding his actions was Machchhar’s Mumbai friend who said the Indian pilot’s quick thinking, experience and calm nature helped save scores of lives.
Dr Jeenit Shah, speaking to Aaj Tak, India Today’s sister channel, described Machchhar as his neighbour and said he is pure-hearted, soft-spoken and a quick decision-maker.
“He is a tremendously talented person from the very beginning. He is an extremely pure-hearted person and soft-spoken. He is a fast decision-maker and that is why I think it helped him yesterday,” said Dr Shah, who has been a friend of Machchhar for 15 years.
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