The ceremony also offered the first close-up look at the injury to the Indian pilot’s head. The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday honoured Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and members of his flydubai crew for their actions during an attempted mid-air attack on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on Machchhar and his fellow crew members in recognition of their efforts to protect passengers during the September 30 incident. The incident took place aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 people on board. Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot with a crash axe, an emergency tool typically kept in the cockpit. The assault left the Indian pilot seriously injured, while the motive for the attack remains unclear. The co-pilot was taken into custody following the incident. Machchhar was initially treated at a hospital in Tabuk before being transferred to Abu Dhabi for further treatment. Sheikh Mohamed received the flydubai crew at a council, where leaders commended their sense of responsibility in protecting passengers and maintaining security during the emergency. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; and several other officials.
