Gandhinagar: Gujarat government is set to honour Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar with the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’ for his courageous role in helping avert a major tragedy aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced on Thursday.
Patel said Machchhar, despite being wounded and bleeding following the attack, displayed extraordinary courage and helped save the lives of all 174 passengers aboard the flight.
In a post on social media platform X, Patel said the world is saluting the captain’s courage and described his actions as “extremely inspiring and commendable”.
He said Machchhar, who is of Gujarati origin, had brought pride to Gujarat and the country through his bravery.
“To honour his extraordinary bravery and act of humanity, the Gujarat government will honour Captain Smit Machchhar with the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’,” Patel said.
He added that the entire state is praying for Machchhar’s speedy recovery.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi also announced the award in a post on X, saying that despite being “gravely injured” in the attack, Machchhar displayed extraordinary courage and saved 174 lives.
“Gujarat honours Captain Smit Machchhar with the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’,” Sanghavi said, adding that the world saluted his bravery and Gujarat is proud of its “brave son”.
Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed to IANS that the state government has also announced a Rs 25 lakh cash reward for Machchhar in recognition of his actions.
The announcement comes a day after Machchhar was involved in a dramatic incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit.
The aircraft subsequently experienced a sharp descent before being diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landing safely.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and help subdue the attacker.
Two passengers then helped take control of the aircraft, which was safely landed in Tabuk.
The incident has drawn international attention, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu among those publicly praising Machchhar’s actions.
PM Modi on Thursday also spoke to Machchhar’s family and described the injured pilot as a “hero” whose courage helped avert a major tragedy.
Machchhar has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and nearly 9,750 flying hours.
He joined Flydubai as a captain in June 2022 after spending more than 11 years with SpiceJet, where he served as a commander and line training captain. Machchhar is currently recovering in Saudi Arabia following the incident.
The circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack and the motive of the co-pilot remain under investigation.
Flydubai has confirmed that an altercation occurred in the flight deck and that the matter is being investigated.
(IANS)
