UAE President honours Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for bravery during flydubai mid-air attack
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan honored Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and the Flydubai crew for their bravery during an attempted mid-air attack on a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight on September 30, 2026. The First Class Order of Zayed II was presented by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who praised the crew's professionalism and strong sense of responsibility.
The incident occurred mid-flight when an Omani co-pilot attacked Machchhar, causing the Boeing 737 Max to plummet. Passengers and other crew members regained control of the aircraft, and it safely landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The Omani co-pilot was arrested, while Machchhar received medical treatment in Tabuk before being transferred to Abu Dhabi.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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