Israel's highest civilian bravery honour is headed to Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian flydubai pilot who fought off a mid-air cockpit attack and saved 174 passengers and crew aboard Flight FZ1073, President Isaac Herzog announced on Thursday.
Herzog Announces the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism
President Herzog made the announcement while presenting the Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism to six Israeli passengers who helped thwart the alleged attempt to crash the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight last week. According to Israel's Government Press Office, Herzog said the Indian captain's "sheer courage and bravery and sound professionalism helped avert this catastrophe," adding: "Once he regains his strength, it will be my privilege to award him, on behalf of the people of Israel, the State of Israel's Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism."
The Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism is Israel's highest bravery award for civilians. The six Israeli civilians honoured on Thursday were Tali Manes, Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Dr Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan and Or Pardilov, who rushed into the cockpit and overpowered the attacker.
What Happened Aboard Flight FZ1073
On September 30, Flight FZ1073 was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv when first officer Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, struck Captain Machchhar with a crash axe inside the cockpit, leaving him seriously injured and bleeding profusely. Despite his wounds, the Indian pilot managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers to barge in and subdue the assailant.
Reports citing Israeli intelligence say Hammami's original plan was to take control of the aircraft, fly it to Tel Aviv and crash it into a building; when that failed, he tried to force the plane down into the desert. Two off-duty flydubai pilots travelling aboard the aircraft then took control and landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All 174 passengers and eight crew members survived.
Recovery and Global Recognition
Captain Machchhar is recuperating at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. India's Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday that he was responding well to treatment, with the Indian Embassy in the UAE in regular touch with his family, doctors and local authorities. In the United States, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is preparing a tribute to the pilot in the Congressional Record of the US House of Representatives.
The honour adds Israel's name to a growing list of recognitions for the Indian captain, whose actions have been praised by leaders including India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Why This Matters
The award is a rare instance of one nation's highest civilian bravery honour going to a foreign national — a measure of just how close Flight FZ1073 came to catastrophe, and of the role one injured pilot played in preventing it.
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