Captain Smit Machchhar receives the First Class Order of Zayed II for his courage during a cockpit attack aboard a Flydubai flight.
An Indian pilot who battled a hijacking attempt thousands of feet above the ground while seriously injured has been honoured by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for his extraordinary courage and professionalism.
According to a report by First Post, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on Captain Smit Machchhar on October 27. The honour recognises Machchhar and other Flydubai crew members for their efforts to protect passengers and secure the aircraft during a mid-air emergency.
The incident occurred on September 30, when Flydubai flight FZ1073 flew from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers aboard a Boeing 737 MAX. An Omani co-pilot, identified in reports as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit with a crash axe.
During the attack, the aircraft reportedly plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Despite suffering multiple injuries, including a severe skull fracture and significant blood loss, Machchhar managed to send emergency signals to air traffic control, using squawk codes 7700 for a general emergency and 7500 for hijacking.
He also managed to open the cockpit door, enabling other crew members and passengers to intervene and overpower the attacker. The pilots regained control of the aircraft, which was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely, as reported by the First Post.
The UAE President presented the decoration in recognition of the crew's bravery, professionalism and commitment to passenger safety. Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the awards.
“The honour recognises their efforts to protect passengers and secure the aircraft during the emergency," the UAE government said in a statement, the First Post has quoted.
Machchhar is reportedly the third Indian to receive the First Class Order of Zayed II, following former Indian ambassadors Navdeep Singh Suri and Sunjay Sudhir.
UAE President's interaction with injured pilot wins hearts
A video from the award ceremony has also drawn attention online, showing a warm exchange between the UAE President and Captain Machchhar.
The video, shared on the Instagram account of the UAE Royal Family, shows Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan noticing the pilot's arm sling and asking about his recovery.
"When will you heal?" Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan asked, as quoted by First Post.
"Maybe two months," Captain Machchhar replied.
The President then made a surprising offer, saying, "So I have an idea. When you heal, I want to have a session with you to train you how to fight,"
"It's my honour, Your Highness," Machchhar responded before embracing the UAE President, First Post has quoted.
Addressing the Flydubai crew and passengers, the President described them as family and reaffirmed the UAE's support.
"Whatever happened in your life, UAE is your country and there is a home for you here, and you have a family," he said during the ceremony, as quoted by First Post.
What is the First Class Order of Zayed II?
The First Class Order of Zayed II is a prestigious UAE civilian decoration presented to foreign diplomats, senior officials and distinguished international personalities for their contributions and service.
Named after the UAE's founding President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the award is different from the Order of Zayed, which is the country's highest civilian honour, as reported by First Post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Order of Zayed in August 2019 for his contribution to strengthening India-UAE relations.
Other Indian recipients of the First Class Order of Zayed II include former ambassadors Navdeep Singh Suri and Sunjay Sudhir.
Suri received the decoration in 2019 after serving as India's ambassador to the UAE from December 2016 to September 2019. He was recognised for his role in strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, as reported by First Post.
In 2025, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the same honour on Sunjay Sudhir, who served as India's ambassador from November 2021 to September 2025. His contributions to advancing the India-UAE strategic partnership, particularly in the economic and education sectors, were recognised.
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