LONDON: Authorities paid tribute to a “brave” Indian pilot credited with averting a catastrophe when he was attacked by a colleague in the cockpit of a FlyDubai passenger jet on Wednesday.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said the injured captain, Smit Machchhar, was in a stable condition in a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The Boeing 737 MAX he was flying, which was on its way from the UAE to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing at the city’s airport on Wednesday morning.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised Machchhar, who was wounded when his co-pilot attacked him in what Israeli authorities said was an attempt to crash the aircraft and kill all those on board.

“My salute to the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, for his extraordinary bravery,” Netanyahu wrote in a message posted on social media platform X.

“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back … preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.”

Netanyahu’s spokesperson told Reuters that Machchhar was covered with blood and on the floor when he managed to press the release that opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers in to tackle the attacker.

Indian embassy officials said they were monitoring the condition of “the brave Indian pilot” and added: “A full update on his health is awaited but he is reported to be in stable condition.

“We hope that he recovers from his injuries at the earliest. We are in touch with his family and assure them that we will continue to follow up on his health with Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his well-being.”

The Flydubai jet was more than two hours into its flight and close to the border with Jordan when it suddenly plummeted almost 5,000 meters and sent out an emergency signal. A reserve crew that was on board was able to take over the controls after the attacker was subdued, and landed the aircraft at Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk.

Israeli authorities said the co-pilot intended to crash the plane, which had 160 Israeli passengers on board.

Machchhar joined FlyDubai in 2022 from the Indian airline Spicejet, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He has 9,750 flying hours in the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8/9, and 13 years of commercial flying experience in the Boeing 737 fleet.