captain who was stabbed by his copilot in an alleged attempt to crash the plane has been hailed as a hero. Captain Smit Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, was seriously injured during the attack on Wednesday as he successfully saved over 174 passengers onboard.
For his extraordinary courage, Captain would be honoured by Gujarat government. On Thursday, CM announced that Machchhar would awarded with the Visisht Gujarat Garima Award for his act of bravery.
“The courage of Captain Smit Machhar, the pilot of the flight headed to Israel, is being saluted by the entire world today. Despite being drenched in blood due to the attack, he displayed indomitable bravery to save the lives of 174 passengers—a feat that is profoundly inspiring and commendable.
“This valiant son of Gujarat has illuminated the name of Gujarat and the nation across the globe through his heroism. The Gujarati spirit flowing in his veins fills us all with immense pride. To honor his extraordinary act of bravery and humanity, the Government of Gujarat will bestow upon Captain Smit Machhar the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award.’
“The entire Gujarat is praying for his swift recovery. The empathy and prayers of the nation’s citizens are with Captain Smit Machhar,” added CM Bhupendra Patel on X.
Officials said the pilot hails from Gujarat, but his family shifted to Mumbai long ago.
Machchar was currently recuperating in a Saudi Arabia hospital after sustaining serious injuries due to the stabbing by by his co-pilot in the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073.
According to ANI, he was being airlifted to Dubai for further treatment.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh, via a social media post, previously shared that Machchar was “admitted in a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia and receiving necessary medical attention”.
The embassy and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah said that they are closely monitoring Machchhar’s health and are in touch with his family.
Several people across the country were seen praying for Machchhar’s quick recovery.
Special prayers and continuous Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Japa were conducted at Shree Somnath temple for the health and long life of the FlyDubai hero Captain, reported ANI.
The FlyDubai flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when it transmitted emergency signals. It made a sharp descent of more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet before being diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia where it landed successfully.
