Forty years apart, two terrifying mid-air emergencies created moments of extraordinary courage. In 1986, Chandigarh-born flight attendant Neerja Bhanot became a symbol of bravery when she faced a hijacking and worked to protect passengers despite the danger around her. In 2026, Mumbai’s Smit Machchhar found himself at the centre of another aviation emergency, with his actions once again highlighting the responsibility aviation professionals carry when lives are at stake.

Neerja’s story remains one of India’s most remembered acts of courage. During the Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking in Karachi, she helped passengers escape and continued assisting others even as the situation became increasingly dangerous. She lost her life while shielding children from gunfire and was later honoured with the Ashoka Chakra for her bravery.

Four decades later, Smit Machchhar’s name has emerged in connection with a terrifying incident in the skies. Faced with an unfolding emergency, he reportedly placed the safety of passengers ahead of his own, bringing back memories of the selflessness associated with Neerja’s story.

The circumstances of the two incidents are different, but the human instinct at their heart feels remarkably similar: when fear took over, they chose responsibility.

From Neerja Bhanot in 1986 to Smit Machchhar in 2026, their stories remind us that sometimes the true heroes of a flight are the people who quietly put everyone else first.