Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar gets UAE’s top honour. How his courage earned praise from world leaders
The honour comes amid widespread international praise for Machchhar, whose actions helped avert a potential aviation disaster.
The United Arab Emirates has honored Indian Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar with the prestigious First Class Order of Zayed II for his courageous actions during a cockpit attack on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The incident, which occurred on September 30, prompted widespread international praise, including from world leaders such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented the honor, commending Machchhar's bravery and commitment to passenger safety. Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, enabling crew members and passengers to intervene and avert a potential disaster. The aircraft was safely diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar's actions were acknowledged by numerous leaders, who lauded his courage, responsibility, and dedication to saving lives.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
