‘A hero to India, Israel and the world’: Israeli President honours flydubai captain Smit Machchhar
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has invited flydubai captain Smit Machchhar to Jerusalem to receive Israel’s highest civilian award for heroism, recognising his courage in fighting off an attack by his co-pilot mid-air and averting a potential hijacking.
In a letter addressed to Machchhar, Herzog said he would be honoured to present him with the Israeli Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. The Israeli President described the captain as a hero to India, Israel and the world, and expressed hope that he would be able to visit Jerusalem once he had recovered from his injuries.
Machchhar is currently recovering at a hospital in Dubai after suffering serious injuries in the attack.
Israeli President praises captain’s courage
Herzog shared a photograph of Machchhar reading the letter, along with an image of the letter itself, in a post on X. He praised the captain for his determination in bringing the aircraft to safety and preventing what could have been a catastrophe for the passengers on board.
“On behalf of the people of Israel, I would be honoured to present you with Israel’s highest recognition of civilian heroism, the Israeli Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism,” Herzog wrote. In the letter, the Israeli President expressed gratitude for Machchhar’s actions during the incident.
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I write to express our deepest gratitude for your exceptional courage and determination in steering your aircraft to safety and averting a certain catastrophe for all the innocent passengers on board,” he said. Herzog also acknowledged the terror and urgency of the situation inside the cockpit, describing the sequence of events aboard the Flydubai aircraft as being like a thriller.
He said he looked forward to welcoming Machchhar to Jerusalem as the captain regained his strength.
Captain suffered serious injuries in mid-air attack
Machchhar had earlier told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the attack by his co-pilot inside the aircraft. According to the account, the co-pilot repeatedly struck him from behind using the emergency axe kept in the cockpit.
The attack left Machchhar with serious injuries, and he had to undergo brain surgery. He is now recovering in a Dubai hospital.
Despite the assault, the captain managed to steer the aircraft to safety, averting a potential hijacking and a possible disaster involving the passengers on board.
Israel’s highest civilian honour for heroism
The Israeli Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism is Israel’s highest civilian award. Herzog’s invitation recognises Machchhar’s actions during an incident that placed his own life at risk while threatening the safety of everyone aboard the aircraft.
By inviting the injured captain to Jerusalem to receive the honour in person, Herzog has formally acknowledged his courage and determination during the emergency.
The Israeli President’s message also highlighted the international recognition of Machchhar’s actions, with Herzog describing him as a hero to people in India, Israel and across the world.
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Captain Smit Machchhar to be honoured with Israel’s Presidential Award for averting flydubai tragedy
