Indian Pilot Captain Smit Machchhar Honoured by UAE President for Saving 170 Lives After Co-Pilot Attack
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has awarded Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and fellow flydubai crew members the First Class Order of Zayed II, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, for their response to a violent in-flight incident on September 30 that ended with all aboard surviving.
The honour was formally presented on Tuesday by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, also met the crew members and praised their sense of duty and commitment to passenger safety.
The incident involved flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to reports, the co-pilot, an Omani national identified as Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Captain Machchhar with a crash axe that was kept in the cockpit for emergency use. The captain sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft lost nearly 14,000 feet of altitude in less than 30 seconds.
Even while injured and lying on the cockpit floor, Captain Machchhar was able to unlock the cockpit door with what strength he had left. That action allowed passengers and off-duty crew members, including two other flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers, to enter the cockpit, overpower the attacker and help restore control of the aircraft. The flight was then diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. More than 170 passengers and crew members survived the ordeal.
UAE authorities have described the episode as an attempted terrorist attack intended to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Investigations are still ongoing. Captain Machchhar, who has been recovering from his injuries, has received international praise, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has also said that Machchhar will be awarded Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism once he has recovered.
Sheikh Hamdan had earlier visited the injured captain in hospital and described him as having shown the highest levels of courage, responsibility and concern for human life. The UAE leadership has said that protecting the safety and security of people remains a national priority.
