UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has awarded the Order of Zayed II, First Class, to the crew of flydubai flight FZ1073, recognising their composure during a mid-air emergency that put the safety of everyone on board at risk.
The incident unfolded on 30 September 2026, when the Boeing 737 MAX 8, carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Initial investigations found that the first officer, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, had attempted to carry out a terrorist act during the flight. The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, took control of the aircraft and the crew diverted it, landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia instead of continuing to its original destination. the situation inside the cockpit escalated quickly, but the captain and crew, working with passengers, managed to bring it under control before the aircraft touched down safely in Tabuk. All 182 people on board — passengers and crew alike — walked away unharmed.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, presented the medal on the president's behalf on Tuesday, 27 October, praising the crew's "sense of responsibility and timely action." The Order of Zayed II is among the UAE's highest civil distinctions, typically reserved for exceptional acts of courage or outstanding service to the nation.
The FZ1073 route between Dubai and Tel Aviv has since returned to its regular schedule. The president's gesture has drawn renewed attention to the training and crisis-readiness of flight crews operating out of the UAE, at a time when regional airlines have faced a string of security-related disruptions.