Ahmedabad, 01 October (H.S.):

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced that Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who played a crucial role in saving the lives of 174 passengers aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 (Boeing 737 MAX 8), will be honoured with the state government’s ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’.

The bravery of Captain Machchhar, who played a key role in averting a major disaster aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, has drawn widespread attention in India and abroad. During the flight, the Indian captain was reportedly attacked with a knife by the Omani first officer. Following the incident, passengers and crew members acted swiftly, and the aircraft was safely landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel praised Captain Machchhar’s courage and determination and announced that the state government would confer the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’ on him.

In a post on social media platform X, Chief Minister Patel said that the extraordinary courage and valour displayed by Captain Smit Machchhar in the skies were exceptional. Despite sustaining serious injuries, he confronted the attacker and played a crucial role in helping avert a major tragedy and save the lives of 174 passengers.

The Chief Minister said that Captain Machchhar is an Indian and has Gujarati roots, adding that Gujarat and the entire country are proud of him. He also wished the captain a speedy and complete recovery.

Other trained pilots on board subsequently took control of the situation, and the aircraft was diverted for an emergency landing at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.

Following the emergency landing, Captain Smit Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk for treatment. His condition has been reported as stable, and he is continuing to receive medical care.

Prime Minister Modi and Netanyahu Also Praise Machchhar

The courage displayed by Captain Machchhar has also been publicly praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu said that despite being seriously injured in the knife attack, Machchhar fought back and opened the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew members to overpower the attacker. He described Machchhar as a true hero and wished him a speedy recovery.

Prime Minister Modi has also praised Captain Machchhar’s bravery.

Captain Smit Machchhar’s family is originally associated with Wadhwan in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district, while his family has been living in Mumbai for a long time. He is an experienced commercial pilot and, according to reports, has accumulated thousands of hours of flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Amid the serious crisis that unfolded within a matter of moments in the skies, Captain Smit Machchhar’s decisions and courage played an important role in ensuring the safety of the 174 people on board. The Gujarat government will now honour his contribution by conferring the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’ on him.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar