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Ajay Singh says Captain Smit Machchhar had to reach toward the co-pilot’s side of the cockpit to open the door after being stabbed—moving toward the attacker during the struggle. Singh, SpiceJet’s chairman and managing director and Machchhar’s former employer, described that choice as requiring “real courage.”

Why opening the door meant moving toward danger

In remarks reported by Hindustan Times, Singh said: “The handle that opens the cockpit door is actually on the co-pilot’s side. It would have needed real courage after being stabbed to reach out to the co-pilot’s side and open the door.”

His point was about the reported position of the handle and the risk of reaching it while injured. Singh also said, in remarks reproduced by Public TV from ANI: “The first thing that will go through a pilot’s mind is preserving lives, saving lives.”

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Those are Singh’s reported comments, not an independent technical verification of the aircraft’s door system. The available reporting does not include a public investigation report or a technical statement from the aircraft manufacturer.

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What happened aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when an attack in the cockpit was reported on September 30, 2026. The flight diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Accounts from The Associated Press and Hindustan Times say Machchhar opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and intervene. Other pilots aboard helped stabilize and land the aircraft.

Reports describe a struggle and a sharp descent. The Indian Express attributes to Machchhar a description of an interior twist mechanism on the door and says other Flydubai pilots helped stabilize the plane. These details remain reported accounts; the cited sources do not provide an official investigation finding establishing the full sequence.

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Why published accounts give different numbers

The figures in coverage refer to different things and should not be treated as interchangeable counts of people rescued.

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Figure What the report says
180 lives Ajay Singh said Machchhar had been entrusted with 180 lives, as reported by Public TV.
182 people aboard The Associated Press reported 182 people aboard the aircraft: AP report.
174 people saved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said 174 people were saved, as quoted by AP.

The reports do not reconcile these figures, and they describe different contexts: Singh’s characterization, the AP passenger-and-crew count, and Netanyahu’s statement about people saved.

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What is known about the motive

The motive was not established in the cited coverage. AP said it was not immediately clear, and ABC News reported that Flydubai warned against premature speculation. It would therefore be inaccurate to present a motive—or label the episode a confirmed hijacking or attempted terrorism—as established by these accounts.

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