NEW DELHI, October 28 (Aalimi Nation) – Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has been honoured by the United Arab Emirates for his conduct during a cockpit emergency aboard a flydubai flight on 30 September. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II, one of the country's top civilian honours, on the flight's crew members, including Captain Machchhar.
The UAE President received the crew on Tuesday in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, presented the honours. In a social media post, he said the captain had "our full appreciation and praise" from the leadership of the nation.
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority has also commended Captain Machchhar, the crew and the passengers who helped bring the situation under control. Officials said the honours recognised the crew's efforts to ensure the safety of passengers.
Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September when the emergency occurred. According to officials, Captain Machchhar was struck in the cockpit and seriously injured. He has said he was hit hard on the back of the head while checking flight information and that he was "in and out of consciousness frequently".
Despite his injuries, he unlocked the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to step in. Passengers who helped have said he opened the door before collapsing. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The airline said at the time that all passengers were safe.
The UAE's Attorney-General later ordered a special Public Prosecution investigation team, working with the General Civil Aviation Authority, to examine the incident, including whether it was linked to terrorism.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Captain Machchhar as a "hero" on social media. The Gujarat government announced that it would confer its Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award on him, and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel called him a "valiant son of Gujarat". The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said at the time that it was monitoring his condition with Saudi authorities and that he was stable.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised his courage and said he had prevented a catastrophic disaster. Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced a Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism for the captain, to be presented once he has recovered, and has also recognised several Israeli passengers who helped during the incident. US President Donald Trump has also praised the pilot for opening the door despite serious injuries.
Captain Machchhar has worked for flydubai since 2022. The Israeli award is yet to be presented, as he is still recovering, and the UAE investigation team has not said when it will publish its findings.
