Indian pilot Smit Machchhar to get Israel bravery award after cockpit attack

Israel will award Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar its highest civilian bravery honour after he foiled a cockpit attack on a flydubai flight. The recognition highlights how his actions, aided by passengers, saved 172 lives and underscored the need for global cooperation against terror.

In Short

• Herzog praised Machchhar's professionalism for averting catastrophe aboard Flight 1073
• The September 30 flight carried 172 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv
• Six passengers were honoured in Jerusalem for helping subdue the attacker

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar will receive Israel's highest bravery award for civilians for helping prevent a flydubai plane from crashing after he was attacked inside the cockpit by his co-pilot. Israel President Isaac Herzog made the announcement while presenting the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism to six other people who were on board the Dubai to Tel Aviv flight on September 30, 2026.

At a ceremony held at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Thursday, Herzog said Machchhar's actions had helped avert a disaster. He said, "Alongside the Israeli heroes whom we honour today, we send our heartfelt wishes for the full and speedy recovery of Captain Smit Machchhar of India."

Herzog said Machchhar's "sheer courage and bravery and sound professionalism helped avert this catastrophe". He added, "Once he regains strength, it will be my honour and 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 civilian award for heroism. According to the President's Office, the award was established by Herzog after October 7 and recognises people who acted with exceptional heroism, at real risk to their own lives, out of mutual responsibility, and to save human life.

The award was presented to Tali Manes, Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan and Or Pardilov for their role in stopping the would-be hijacker from crashing the plane, the President's Office said. Praising those on flight 1073, Herzog said they carried out a "simple, human, and profoundly Israeli act: At the moment when a choice had to be made – you chose life. For all of this, I award you today the President's Medal for Civilian Bravery," the Jerusalem Post reported.

On September 30, Machchhar helped save the lives of 172 passengers and fellow crew members on flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. He was stabbed by his co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft. Machchhar, who has been hailed as a "hero" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is making steady progress and regaining his health at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates.

Herzog said, "There is a profound lesson we must draw from this remarkable story: just as people from different nations joined forces to save that aircraft, so too must the international community stand united against the global threat of terror." Referring to the October 7, 2023 attack, he said, "Yesterday we marked the third anniversary of the single most barbaric, murderous attack on the State of Israel and its citizens. October 7, 2023, scarred the Israeli people irrevocably, and the trauma will be palpable for generations. We have learned, through painful sacrifice, what it means to face an existential threat." He added, "And we have learned that confronting it requires foresight, determination, and, above all, international cooperation in fighting terror. I have absolute confidence in the thorough investigation conducted by our dear friends in the United Arab Emirates, whom we greatly respect."

The ceremony in Jerusalem honoured six passengers for helping stop the attack on flight 1073, while Herzog said Captain Machchhar would be given the same award once he recovers, recognising his role in preventing the plane from crashing and saving everyone on board.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends