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Indian Aviation Heroes: Two Flights, One Spirit
1 Oct
Summary
- Flight attendant Neerja Bhanot saved lives during a 1986 hijacking.
- Captain Smit Machchhar fought off an attacker in 2024.
- Both incidents highlight Indian aviation professionals' courage.
On September 5, 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked in Karachi by four members of the Abu Nidal Organisation during its journey from Mumbai to Frankfurt. Senior flight purser Neerja Bhanot, then 22, alerted pilots, allowing their escape and grounding the aircraft.
Bhanot bravely hid passengers' passports, particularly those of Americans, and calmed terrified passengers for 17 hours. When hijackers opened fire, she guided people to exits, sacrificing her life protecting children. She was posthumously awarded India's Ashoka Chakra, Pakistan's Tamgha-e-Pakistan, and the US Special Courage Award.
Four decades later, on Wednesday (September 30), Captain Smit Machchhar faced a terrifying attack by his co-pilot on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight with 174 passengers. Despite serious injury, he managed to unlock the cockpit door.
This allowed others to overpower the co-pilot and enabled two off-duty pilots to safely land the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Machchhar's quick actions mirrored Bhanot's selflessness, highlighting a common thread of courage among Indian aviation professionals.
While the circumstances of the 1986 hijacking and the recent flydubai incident differ, both showcase Indian aviation personnel prioritizing passenger safety in extreme emergencies. Bhanot's story, surviving for 40 years, is a testament to her choice to save others over herself.
