UAE Honours Indian Pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for Mid Air Bravery

The United Arab Emirates has conferred its prestigious First Class Order of Zayed II upon Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and the crew of flydubai, Pragativadi, NDTV, and The Hindu reported. The national honour was awarded for their decisive actions in subduing a dangerous mid-air attack and protecting all passengers on board. [1][6][7]

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, alongside Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, received the crew to express the gratitude of the nation, according to Pragativadi. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister, presented the formal decorations to the crew. [1]

Reports from Indian media outlets, including Hindustan Times and The Indian Express, noted that Machchhar appeared at the ceremony with visible stitches on his head following the incident. Machchhar was serving as the captain of Flydubai Flight 1073 when first officer Hamam al-Hammami attacked him in the cockpit. Despite receiving severe injuries, Machchhar opened the cockpit door from the inside, which enabled crew members and passengers to intervene and restrain the attacker. [8][10][11]

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight, which was traveling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport, made a safe emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with no fatalities among the 174 people on board. As HEROIC BREAKING NEWS reported earlier, Machchhar was initially treated at a hospital in Saudi Arabia before being transferred by air medical services to a medical facility in the United Arab Emirates. [11][13][14][15]