The Plane That Was Never Master of Its Own Destiny

“Does God come to the land when people are in dire need, or does He send someone to become a beacon of hope in the darkest hour?”

I am an aeroplane.

I rest in a hangar, yet I spend my days crossing skies and carrying lives. Tail numbers change and engines age, but the spirit of every aircraft remains the same. We carry countless responsibilities on our wings. People travel with me, carrying flickering hopes in their glimmering eyes.

They board me with high hopes. Some climb aboard to chase success, some to meet their loved ones, and some simply to taste the thrill of the sky.

To my chagrin, I am not the master of my own life.

Across four decades, I have witnessed ordinary people become extraordinary when the lives of others depended upon their unbridled courage. I heaved a sigh of relief whenever my crew was hardworking, dedicated and sincere.

In 1985, I met a dauntless woman who fell in love with the skies when she joined Pan Am. It was a bleak day when I was hijacked at Karachi airport on 5 September 1986. The years have rolled by, yet the memory of that terrifying day remains etched in me. I was terrified of losing my dear ones.

To my chagrin, I was not the master of my destiny.

Then a beacon of hope illuminated my cabin. Neerja Bhanot, the senior flight purser, took charge and alerted the cockpit crew. After the cockpit crew escaped as part of emergency protocol, Neerja was left to grapple with the crisis inside the cabin. She remained composed and began finding ways to help the passengers escape.

Not for one or two hours, but for seventeen long hours, she put her heart and soul into protecting my passengers. When the hijackers began shooting, she turned the tables by opening the emergency exit doors, helping innocent lives escape with courage and determination. She was shot while shielding children from the gunfire. To my dismay, that dauntless life was lost inside me.

She was just 22, yet she did far more than anyone could have expected. She was hailed as the epitome of courage and became an inspiration for women to follow in her footsteps. Even today, she reminds us how to give our best and remain calm in the toughest moments of life. She was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award.

Four decades later, another true hero emerged. Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot of Gujarati origin flying with Flydubai.

On 30 September 2026, he was commanding Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv when, according to reports, his co-pilot attacked him inside the cockpit. The aircraft went into a rapid descent, and the motive is still under investigation.

Although Captain Machchhar was seriously injured and bleeding profusely, he left no stone unturned to ensure everyone’s safety. With courage and determination, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing others on board to assist and intervene. Off-duty pilots travelling as passengers then helped bring the aircraft under control, and it landed safely at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Strangers from different walks of life acted as one crew that day, and everyone aboard landed safely. In the face of danger, Captain Machchhar carried India’s pride high in the sky.

My windows blurred with tears as my passengers suffered in crisis. Yet today, I have made my peace. I am not the master of my own destiny, and perhaps that is a blessing in disguise. Had I been the master of my own life, I might never have met such formidable warriors.

Whenever anyone joins me, they take a vow to deliver their best. Some keep their word, while others falter when the moment tests them. Neerja and Smit kept theirs, and more. I feel truly blessed to have had you both aboard. I hope you will continue to inspire others, so that they, too, can bring laurels to India.

Does God come to help us in our direst need, or does He send someone to help us?

Perhaps, He does both.

Sometimes, He sends someone as a good Samaritan. At other times, He strengthens us from within by giving us the courage to face the storm. Divine help does not always arrive in the form we expect. Sometimes, it arrives as a courageous soul who stands between danger and those who need protection.

Maybe God was there with us in the form of Neerja and Smit. He never leaves His children in the lurch. He is the power that governs our souls, awakens our courage and reminds us that even in the darkest hour, hope can take human form.

And perhaps that is the greatest mystery of all. When humanity is in dire need, does God descend from the heavens, or does He simply send someone brave enough to stand among us?