The Indian pilot stabbed by his colleague mid-air has said he "could not let people die" as he described how he fought to open the cockpit door while still being attacked.

Smit Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi he had "so many wounds" but managed to avert disaster during Wednesday's Dubai to Tel Aviv flight.

Mr Machchhar has been hailed a hero after his actions allowed passengers to enter the cockpit and subdue the co-pilot as the jet plunged thousands of feet.

Speaking in an emotional video call from hospital in Abu Dhabi, he described how he fell to the floor after the stabbing and was "fighting for my life".

"When I was down, I could feel that the aircraft was plummeting, and I knew this is a last chance to do something. I knew the door was just there," said Mr Machchhar.

Despite still getting hit by the attacker, he said he managed to open the door and "knew that I could not let people die".

Mr Modi told the Flydubai captain: "The whole country can proudly say that we Indians are not people who take lives, we are people who save lives."

He added: "At that time, you did not care for your life, you cared for the lives of all the travellers."

India's embassy in the UAE said Mr Machchhar - who is from Mumbai and has two children - is recovering well.

The co-pilot, believed to be an Omani national, was arrested and Israel's prime minister has suggested the incident could have been "another 9/11".

Benjamin Netanyahu said the pilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" and it appeared "very likely that he was going to down the plane".

Four passengers on the flight also recalled the co-pilot saying "kill me" after he was restrained. However, his motive and background has not yet been confirmed.

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More than 170 people - mainly Israelis - were on board, with some describing how the plane lurched out of control during the incident.

One of the passengers who entered the cockpit told the Israeli PM he pulled up on the yoke to level the aircraft after having watched aviation TV shows.

Two other Flydubai crew on board then took over and landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Images on the runway showed damage to the Boeing 737's rudder, likely caused by its rapid descent when no one was in control.

(c) Sky News 2026: Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar 'could not let people die' as he describes fight to open cockpit door