UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed held a warm meeting with Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, and his co-pilot to honour their courage during a mid-air emergency. The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, carrying more than 170 passengers, was disrupted on September 30 when the co-pilot attacked Captain Machchhar with an axe in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft. Despite severe injuries, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing the rest of the crew to subdue the attacker. The aircraft was safely diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The 29-year-old co-pilot, who had previously worked for Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc before joining flydubai in January, later confessed he had planned a 9/11-style attack on Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, despite showing no prior signs of extremism during routine security checks.
During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed awarded Captain Machchhar and his crew the First Class Order of Zayed II in recognition of their bravery in protecting passengers. "Whatever happened in your life, the UAE is your country, and there is a home for you here," he told them. In a lighter moment, the President, known for his interest in martial arts, jokingly offered to teach the recovering captain a few jiu-jitsu moves. Captain Machchhar, who is still recovering roughly two months after the incident, expressed his gratitude for the warm reception.