New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday congratulated Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for being honoured with the UAE’s prestigious ‘First Class Order of Zayed II’ decoration in recognition for his act of extraordinary bravery in helping to save the lives of passengers and the airliner from being crashed by a terrorist co-pilot.
“Proud to see Captain Smit Machchhar and the Flydubai crew honoured with the UAE’s prestigious First Class Order of Zayed II, presented by Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum,” the minister wrote in a post on X.
Hailing Machchhar as “a hero celebrated across skies,” Goyal said, “Captain Smit and his team embody the true spirit of duty, precision and valour, making us all proud. Heartiest congratulations to him and the entire crew on this well-deserved honour!”
The ‘First Class Order of Zayed II’ is a high-level civil decoration of the United Arab Emirates conferred by the UAE President to honour individuals, diplomats, officials, and crew members for distinguished service, courage, or contributions to strengthening bilateral and international relations.
The UAE President, in the presence of Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, received the crew members. The leaders praised the crew’s courage and professionalism in ensuring the safety of passengers and securing the aircraft, affirming that protecting people’s safety and security remains a top priority for the UAE.
The crew members expressed their gratitude to the UAE President and pride in receiving the honour, which reflects recognition of their service, dedication and commitment.
The honours were presented by UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who commended the crew’s actions and sense of responsibility.
On September 30, Captain Smit Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot while aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. He was badly wounded in the attack but still managed to retain the presence of mind to open the cockpit door to enable other passengers and crew to enter and overpower the terrorist co-pilot and take control of the plane.
–IANS
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