UAE president says ‘I want to train you how to fight’ to Smit Machchhar, inspects his stitches
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the flydubai crew for courage and passenger safety after an attack that sent Flight FZ 1073 into a near-14,000-foot plunge.
- On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded the First Class Order of Zayed II to Captain Smit Machchhar and his flydubai crew for their bravery during an in-flight crisis.
- The ceremony followed a violent incident aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight where co-pilot Hamam Al Hammami attacked Captain Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe, causing a compound depressed skull fracture.
- With more than 170 passengers on board, the aircraft plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds; Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, allowing crew to subdue the attacker.
- During the ceremony, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed asked, "When will you heal?" to which the pilot replied, "Maybe two months," before the President addressed the crew as "family."
- Commercial aircraft carry crash axes in the cockpit for emergencies, a safety protocol adopted 25 years ago following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
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It was an emotional moment. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was surrounded by the crew of the Flydubai flight, including Captain Smit Machar. He told them, "Whatever happens in your life, the UAE is your country. Here you have a home, and here you have a family."
Indian captain Smit Machar was honored by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, along with the rest of the crew, for their actions during the September 30 attack.
Captain Smit Machchhar’s Stitched-Up Skull Exposes Akash Banerjee's ‘False Flag’ Conspiracy Theories
The images are difficult to ignore. When Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar appeared at a UAE honours ceremony this week, the long line of surgical stitches and staples running across his skull offered a stark glimpse of the injuries he suffered during the September 30 attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. […]
Shortly after the attempted abduction of a Flydubai aircraft, the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was revered as a hero. Now he has also received an official award for his action against the terrorist.
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