Mumbai, Oct 3 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has lauded Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage and presence of mind during the terrifying mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight.

He said it would be a pleasure to fly with him as he took to his X (formerly Twitter account) , Salman wrote, “Kamaal kar diya pilot ji, hum sab aap ko salute karte hain will be a pleasure to fly with u.. Well done bro.. Capt #SmitMachchhar.”

Salman's opening phrase, “Kamaal kar diya pilot ji”, also has the familiar playful tonality associated with his iconic Dabangg dialogue “Kamaal karte ho, Pandey ji”, making the tribute sound the quintessential like a Salman-style salute.

The actor's message comes after a dramatic incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board. Captain Machchhar was seriously injured after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit.

Despite deep his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

The brave act has been lauded by millions with a lot of Bollywood stars lauding the captain.

Actor Anil Kapoor also shared a heartfelt tribute to Captain Machchhar, revealing a personal connection to the pilot through his business manager Jalal.

Anil Kapoor recalled that Jalal had known Smit since flying school and had always considered him someone he would want by his side in a difficult situation.

In his post, Kapoor wrote in part, “What Smit did in that moment was nothing short of extraordinary. It takes immense courage to stay strong and put others first...” He went on to express his respect for the captain and wished him a speedy recovery.

Many Bollywood celebrities have also taken to social media to salute Machchhar's courage.

Vicky Kaushal shared a picture of the pilot in the cockpit and wrote, “Braveheart! Capt Smit Machchhar.”

Sunny Deol praised Machchhar's “extraordinary courage and presence of mind”, saying he had helped avert a disaster and save lives, while wishing him a speedy recovery.

Tamannaah Bhatia highlighted the extraordinary responsibility Machchhar carried during the crisis.

R. Madhavan also joined the tributes, praying for the speedy recovery of what he described as a true hero.

--IANS

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