Gandhinagar, Oct 1 – Gujarat’s Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced that the state will honour Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar with the Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award for his courageous actions during an attack on a Dubai‑Tel Aviv flight.
Machchhar, a Gujarati national, was wounded and bleeding after a co‑pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. Despite his injuries, he opened the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers to help subdue the assailant. Two passengers then assisted in regaining control of the aircraft, which was safely diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
In addition to the award, the state government will provide a Rs 25 lakh cash reward to Machchhar. The announcement comes a day after the incident, and the entire state is praying for his speedy recovery.
The incident has attracted international attention, with Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praising Machchhar’s bravery. The captain, who has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and 9,750 flight hours, joined Flydubai in June 2022 after a long tenure with SpiceJet. He is currently recuperating in Saudi Arabia while investigations into the cockpit attack continue.
