Benjamin Netanyahu calls flydubai captain Smit Machchhar a ‘true hero’, invites him to Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday invited Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who helped save a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight after being attacked in the cockpit, to visit Israel as a guest of honour.
“You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel, and you are a hero of the entire world,” Netanyahu told Machchhar during a phone call, excerpts of which were released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
“I invite you to light a torch at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu said the injured pilot, passengers and other crew members had “managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster”.
Machchhar is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates.
flydubai incident and Captain Smit averted a disaster
On September 30, flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was at the centre of an unprecedented incident when an Omani co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an axe in an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft.
The attack reportedly caused the plane to lose more than 17,000 feet in altitude within two minutes, before a hijacking distress signal was transmitted.
Machchhar was severely injured in the attack aboard flight FZ1073. Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar managed to thwart al-Hammami’s alleged attempt to crash the aircraft.
Dubai Crown Prince meets hero Indian pilot
Earlier in the day, Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum met flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar on Saturday, praising the Indian pilot for his courage in averting a major tragedy after his Omani co-pilot allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft this week.
Maktoum, who also serves as the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, shared photos of his meeting with the 39-year-old pilot on X, formerly Twitter, and said the UAE leadership expressed its “appreciation and praise” for Machchhar’s actions.
“During a visit to Captain Smit Machchhar… the flydubai pilot who embodied the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life,” Maktoum said.
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