Flydubai incident: Co-pilot accused of assaulting Captain Smit Machchhar transferred to UAE, says Saudi Arabia

By  News On Air   Oct 02, 2026

The co-pilot accused of assaulting Captain Smit Machchhar has been transferred to Abu Dhabi. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA), quoting an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Interior, reported that both pilots left the country for Abu Dhabi after receiving medical clearance.

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi had yesterday informed that Captain Machchhar had been brought to the UAE and was recovering well.

As reported by SPA, the aircraft landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk at 9:45 a.m. on 30th September (Wednesday), with 174 passengers and an eight-member crew, all of whom received necessary logistical and medical assistance. At 5:40 p.m., passengers continued their journey on a replacement flydubai aircraft, while the crew returned to Dubai on a separate flight.

The captain and co-pilot were taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. Following medical clearance, both pilots departed Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi on 1st October (Thursday), accompanied by the UAE security team.

According to SPA, preliminary investigations by Saudi authorities, in coordination with a UAE security team, revealed that an altercation occurred in which the co-pilot assaulted the captain, resulting in injuries to both individuals.