India's ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, met injured flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar at a hospital on Thursday, and the Indian Embassy said the pilot was in good health and recovering well, the Times of India (TOI) reported.

TOI reported that Machchhar, captain of flydubai flight FZ1073, suffered multiple stab wounds during a fight with his co-pilot on Wednesday. It said the co-pilot allegedly tried to take control of the aircraft to crash it.

"Amb Deepak Mittal visited Captain Smit Machchhar and his family at the hospital. Captain Machchhar is in good health and recovering well," the Indian Embassy in the UAE said on X. It added that it remained in close coordination with local authorities to ensure his continued medical care and well-being.

The Consulate General of India in Dubai said the pilot was "speaking openly, smiling and laughing" when the ambassador met him, which it described as a great relief for officials and his family. It quoted the ambassador as saying the captain was receiving good medical treatment and that the embassy was in constant touch with UAE authorities.

Machchhar was first treated at a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the flight made an emergency landing, and he was airlifted to Abu Dhabi earlier on Thursday, according to the report.

India's Ministry of External Affairs said it was closely following the health condition of Machchhar, whom it described as an Indian national and the "brave pilot" of FZ1073. It said he received initial treatment in Tabuk and has been shifted to Abu Dhabi for continued medical attention and recovery.

TOI said the identity of the co-pilot had not been revealed. An Israeli official told the Associated Press that Israel expects the Emirati investigation to provide more significant findings once the Saudi probe is completed, the newspaper added. The exact motives of the co-pilot are still being investigated.

Source: TOI