Highlights
- Indian captain reveals head injuries after September cockpit attack.
- Co-pilot allegedly planned to crash Tel Aviv-bound flight into airport terminal.
- UAE president honours pilot and crew for preventing disaster.
AN INDIAN pilot who fought off an axe-wielding co-pilot during an alleged attempt to crash a passenger plane into an Israeli airport has received a bravery medal from the president of the United Arab Emirates.
Captain Smit Machchhar, who suffered serious head injuries during the attack on a FlyDubai flight in September, was awarded the UAE's First Class Order of Zayed II by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday (28).
Machchhar, who is still recovering, attended the ceremony with visible surgical scars and stitches on the back of his partly shaved head. His left arm was in a sling.
According to a report in the Telegraph, the UAE president embraced the Indian pilot and examined his injuries during the ceremony.
The president joked that he would teach Machchhar how to fight once he had recovered.
"It's my biggest honour," the pilot replied.
Other members of the flight crew also received bravery medals in recognition of their actions during the emergency.
Attack inside cockpit
The incident took place on September 30 when Machchhar was flying a FlyDubai aircraft from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
His first officer, Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, allegedly attacked him with an emergency axe inside the cockpit and attempted to crash the aircraft.
Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing other crew members and passengers to intervene.
During the struggle, the aircraft lost 14,000 feet of altitude in less than 30 seconds.
Those on board eventually regained control of the plane, which made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Hammami was detained after the aircraft landed.
Machchhar's actions were credited with preventing a possible disaster involving the passengers and crew.
President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, prime minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and others meet the flydubai crew members, including Indian Captain Smit Machchhar who got injured in an attack by his co-pilot on a flydubai plane, in Dubai. (@DXBMediaOffice/X via PTI Photo)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu later described the Indian captain as a "true hero".
The Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, visited Machchhar in hospital while he was recovering from his injuries.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi also telephoned the pilot during his recovery.
Investigation into alleged plot
UAE authorities are investigating the attempted hijacking, with prosecutors saying Hammami had given a "detailed confession" about his actions.
According to the investigation, the co-pilot allegedly intended to crash the aircraft into a terminal at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.
UAE attorney-general Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said Hammami had developed extremist views while studying abroad.
He had taken a remote aviation course at Buckinghamshire Open University in Britain before continuing his studies in Australia.
Prosecutors said Hammami came into contact with people associated with MyCentre, an Islamic centre in Melbourne, in 2017.
Al Shamsi said this was the period when signs of his movement towards extremism first appeared.
"During that period, he was influenced by Takfiri ideology through reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide attacks," the attorney-general said.
"This influence subsequently developed into the adoption of ideas advocating violence and terrorism."
Investigators said Hammami had drawn inspiration from the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and considered carrying out a similar attack using an aircraft.
UAE authorities believe he acted alone, although the investigation remains ongoing.
Recognition for crew
Wednesday's ceremony recognised the role played by Machchhar and his fellow crew members in bringing the aircraft safely to the ground.
President Al Nahyan praised their courage and sense of responsibility during the emergency.
For Machchhar, the award came nearly a month after an attack that left him with injuries requiring surgery.
Photographs from the ceremony showed the pilot standing alongside his colleagues, with the stitches on his head still visible.
