‘We are proud of you’: Dubai’s Crown Prince meets flydubai hero pilot Captain Smit Machchhar

Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum met flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar on Saturday, whose heroics averted a major tragedy and helped save 174 lives after his Omani co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft this week.

Maktoum, who is also the deputy prime minister and the defence minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), shared photos of his meeting with 39-year-old Machchhar on microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) and said the entire country’s leadership is full of his ‘appreciation and praise’.

“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.

“We are proud that he is part of our team… part of the story of our nation… and part of what the UAE stands for… a nation of compassion… a nation of peace… and a nation of life,” he added.

Machchhar’s heroics avert major tragedy

Machchhar was severely injured by his Omani co-pilot, who according to a report by Al Arabiya English was identified Hammam al-Hammami, aboard the flight FZ1073 that was travelling to Israel’s Tel Aviv from Dubai on Wednesday. Despite his injuries, Machchhar foiled al-Hammami’s efforts to crash the flight.

For his bravery, he was also hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who later spoke to him and his family members. Further, calls are also being made by many to confer Machchhar the Ashoka Chakra, which is India’s highest peacetime military decoration award.

Pilots’ body Federation of Indian (FIP) has also wrote to PM Modi, requesting him to confer a bravery award on the flydubai pilot, who is a father of two. “The circumstances in which Capt Smit performed his duties merit special recognition,” the letter written by FIP’s president Capt CS Randhawa said.

“As reported, despite being badly injured and confronted with an extraordinarily dangerous situation within the flight deck, Capt. Smit continued to discharge his responsibilities as Pilot-in-Command,” it said. “The Federation would be honoured if the Indian government were to recognise this exceptional act of courage and devotion to duty.”   

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