flydubai attack: Dubai Crown Prince praises Indian pilot Machchhar
Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited and praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his bravery during a mid-flight attack by his co-pilot. The incident is currently under investigation for potential terrorist links.
Why it matters
The incident highlights aviation security concerns and the international cooperation required to investigate potential terror-related threats.
Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Saturday (October 3, 2026) praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for his “courage” in averting a possible tragedy after he was attacked by his co-pilot during a flight to Israel .
Captain Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday (September 30) while it was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Crown Prince Hamdan visited Mr. Machchhar at the hospital, where he is undergoing treatment and posted photographs from the meeting on X.
Mr. Hamdan, who is also the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, said the flydubai pilot had “embodied the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life.”
“From us, and from the leadership of the nation, he has our full appreciation and praise,” he said.
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