Dubai, UAE – UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has awarded the First Class Order of Zayed II to flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar and members of the flydubai crew, in recognition of their courage and professionalism in protecting passengers and securing their aircraft. The honour was presented by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, as reported on 27 October 2026.
What happened
On 30 September 2026, during flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the co-pilot attacked the captain in the cockpit. UAE prosecutors later described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
Despite being injured, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers to overpower the attacker. Two other flydubai pilots who were on board took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. All passengers and crew survived.
Profile: Captain Smit Machchhar
- Role: Captain, flydubai
- Nationality: Indian
- Honour: First Class Order of Zayed II, awarded by the UAE President
- Recognised for: courage under attack and actions that helped secure the aircraft and save everyone on board
Recognition for the whole crew
The honour also recognises the wider flydubai crew, including the two pilots who landed the aircraft, for what the Emirates News Agency described as their courage and professionalism in ensuring passenger safety. Their response has been widely praised as an example of training, teamwork and calm decision-making in aviation.
Source: Arab News.
