Sometimes their paths crossed in the air, too. In 2024, Gosalia was flying to London through Dubai airspace when he recognised Machchhar’s voice on the radio. Machchhar was flying to Mumbai.
“We greeted each other,” he recalls.
On Wednesday, Machchhar was captain of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv when another pilot attacked and stabbed him in the cockpit. The Boeing 737 Max was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar was taken to hospital.
He remains in a stable condition, according to the Indian embassy in Riyadh.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Machchhar a “true hero”, saying he saved the lives of 174 people and prevented a “catastrophic mid-air disaster”.
For Gosalia, however, the man at the centre of the extraordinary incident is still “Smit Mac” – the nickname used by his friends and colleagues – and a “very brilliant person”.
“Outgoing person, jovial. Very jovial,” he adds.
They would meet during layovers in places such as Milan and Bangkok, and play tennis-ball cricket when they were back in Mumbai. Machchhar also helped younger pilots, teaching new recruits and passing on what he had learnt.
“He is a very disciplined flier,” Gosalia says.
That discipline was reinforced by years of training, including from former Indian Air Force pilots who moved into commercial aviation.
“That training gives you more focus, more discipline, and more focus on motor skills,” Gosalia says.
