Smit Machchhar

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Smit Machchhar
Smit Machchhar in hospital call with Prime Minister Modi.png
Smit Machchhar in hospital in the United Arab Emirates
Born1987 or 1988 (age 38–39) [1]
Gujarat, India [2]
Education Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research [3]
Mainland Air Flight School [4] [5] [6]
Occupation Commercial pilot
Years active2008 — present
Known forCaptain of Flydubai Flight FZ1073
SpouseSonal Machchhar [7]
Children2 [1]
Honours

Smit Machchhar (born 1987 or 1988) [1] is an Indian commercial pilot who, while working as the captain of Flydubai Flight 1073, was attacked by first officer Hamam al-Hammami [a] [b] in the cockpit. [24] [25] Machchhar received life-threatening injuries in the attack, but managed to open the cockpit door from the inside, allowing crew and passengers to intervene and subdue the attacker. [26] [27] The airplane then safely made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with no fatalities. [28] [3]

Contents

Before joining Flydubai, Machchhar worked at SpiceJet for 11 years and has previous experience flying the Boeing 737. [29] [30] He initially received his flight training at Mainland Air Flight School in New Zealand. [4] [5] [6] Prior to entering flight school, Machchhar had thought he would enter his family's business and studied textile engineering and management at the Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research. [1] [3]

After sustaining trauma from the attack, he was treated at a hospital in Saudi Arabia and then flown by air medical services to another hospital in the United Arab Emirates. [31] [4] He received a well wishing visit from the Ambassador of India, and was reunited with his family. [31] [4] Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi first contacted his family, and then arranged to have a phone call with Machchhar as well while he was recuperating in hospital. [32] [33]

For his actions on Flight 1073, the Government of Gujarat recognised Machchhar with the Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award. [13] [14] [15] The Harmony Foundation nominated him for their Mother Teresa Award. [18] [19] [20] Indian Member of Parliament of the upper house known as Rajya Sabha, Sun Foundation Chairman Vikramjit Singh Sahney, created the "Smit Machchhar Bravery Award" in his honour. [16] [17] President of Israel Isaac Herzog moved to award Machchhar with their country's highest possible honour for civilian bravery — the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. [8] [9] The United States House of Representatives introduced a bipartisan resolution honouring Machchhar for his actions. [10] [11] [12]

Early life and education

Machchhar was born in the Rajkot district of Gujarat, but grew up in Mumbai after migrating with his family. [2] As a child, he assumed he would join the family's business in the textile industry. [1] He first enrolled in and completed a textile engineering course of study. [34] Afterwards, he studied management at the Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research. [3]

Machchhar attended a seminar on the airline industry when he was 19, leading to a desire to pursue flying. [1] In 2008, Machchhar spent 18 months in Dunedin, New Zealand, doing flight training at Mainland Air out of Dunedin Airport. [5] According to fellow trainee Captain Dhaval Patel, Machchhar was helpful to his peers and taught others "with so much clarity and knowledge". [35] Machchhar was accomplished academically and was prominent among his peers at Mainland Air, according to his instructor Philip Kean. [5] [6] After completing his training, Machchhar returned to India to work as a pilot. [36]

Career

A6-FKF, the aircraft piloted by Machchhar for Flydubai, photographed in January 2026 A6-FKF B737Max8 2026-01-02 DXB FlyDubai psnb.jpeg
A6-FKF, the aircraft piloted by Machchhar for Flydubai, photographed in January 2026

Machchhar began his flying career at the Indian airline SpiceJet, [1] where he rose to Senior Commander and later became a Line Training Captain. [29] He was hired by Flydubai in 2022. [37] In a 2025 podcast interview, he said he had flown Boeing aircraft for his entire career. [31] He had logged more than 9,750 hours with Boeing 737 aircraft before Flight 1073. [37] Noteworthy experiences included a difficult landing in Greece, piloting through monsoon turbulence, and an emergency landing for an in-flight birth. [1] [5]

Machchhar is also an instructor for Fly By Aviation, a private flight school. [4]

Flydubai Flight 1073

Actions as Captain

Flight telemetry showing aircraft entering a steep dive at 05:20 (UTC; Gulf time is 4 hours ahead) Flydubai Flight 1073 altitude and speed.svg
Flight telemetry showing aircraft entering a steep dive at 05:20 (UTC; Gulf time is 4 hours ahead)

On 30 September 2026, Machchhar was the captain of Flydubai Flight 1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers and six crew members on board. [31] [38] [39] Roughly two and a half hours into the flight, after first reaching 34,000 feet, the plane began rapidly losing altitude. [40] [41] [42] Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot with the crash axe kept in the cockpit, in an attempt to nosedive the plane. [43] [44] [31] Although badly injured, Machchhar opened the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers to subdue the co-pilot. [45] [46] [1] Passengers further stopped the airplane's rapid descent. [28] [27] [26] [47]

By the time he was able to open the cockpit door, Machchhar had already lost a great deal of blood and had collapsed. [48] [49] [50] Passenger Shota Musaev, a dentist, assisted in the treatment of his injuries. [51] [52] [53] Musaev stated that Machchhar told him he had two children and did not want to die. [1] [36] He had incurred significant haemorrhaging, according to Musaev, who was unsure if they would land in time to save his life. [54] [36] [5] Machchhar told Prime Minister Modi that he recited the Hindu devotional hymn, Hanuman Chalisa , after being attacked by his co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami. [55] [56] [57]

Two relief pilots onboard were able to reach the cockpit and stabilise the plane, and made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. [58] [59] [60]

Medical treatment

Both original pilot Machchhar and his co-pilot were taken to hospital. [61] [62] [63] Emergency doctors discovered Machchhar had suffered a depressed skull fracture from the attack. [64] He underwent surgery and was brought to stable condition. [65] [66] [67] After his medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, he was taken by air medical services to the United Arab Emirates for further treatment. His family flew from India to be with him. [4] [68] Two separate GoFundMe fundraisers were set up to support Machchhar's family, and his medical expenses. [49] The day after the incident, the campaigns had raised a total of US$80,000. [49]

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called Machchhar a courageous saviour, and said he saved the lives of 174 people. [69] [70] [71] This praise was echoed by the Embassy of India in Saudi Arabia. [28] [27] [72]

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi personally reached out to the wife and parents of Machchhar. [73] [74] [32] Modi told the family that he was keeping the health and safe recovery of Machchhar in his prayers. [75] [32] Modi stated that during ongoing threat to his own life and while experiencing serious injuries, Machchhar displayed bravery while concerned to assist the lives of his passengers. [76] The Prime Minister noted Machchhar averted deaths of hundreds and prevented a disaster from occurring. [77] [76] Modi said the pilot had displayed calm and collected actions under pressure. [76] He stated the captain's actions averted a disaster similar to the September 11 attacks from being successfully carried out on his airplane. [76] [78] [79] Speaking for the people of India, Modi emphasised he felt that Machchhar's courage inspired the Indian people with honour. [76] [80] After initially being checked into a hospital in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar was moved to another hospital for further treatment in Dubai. [81] [82] His recovery progress continued well at the Dubai hospital, and he was able to walk ten steps while in hospital. [81] [82] The Indian Embassy in the UAE was coordinating his medical care with the local government. [81] [82]

Dignitary outreach

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi publicly released video of a phone call reach out to Smit Machchhar as he recovered in hospital in the United Arab Emirates. [33] [83] [84]

While in hospital in the United Arab Emirates, Machchhar received a phone call from Indian Prime Minister Modi. [33] [83] [84] Machchhar was heartened by the call, telling Modi he felt pride that the Prime Minister had reached out to him at that time, and he looked up to Modi as his role model. [85] Machchhar explained to Modi he had been fighting to survive in the cockpit of his airplane. [85] The Prime Minister's office publicly released video of the phone call interaction between the Indian leader and the pilot on 2 October 2026. [83] Machchhar explained how he struggled to get help and open the cockpit door as he was being attacked. [86] [84] He told Modi that he was motivated both to save his own life, and the lives of everyone on board his aircraft. [33] [87] [88] He said his 17 years of flying experience helped him act in the emergency situation. [89] Machchhar stated he felt a duty to respond, but he fell to the floor from his injuries and could sense the airplane was rapidly descending in altitude. [88] He explained to Modi the difficulty in summoning the energy to open the cockpit door to request help. [90] He said as he was attempting to open the cockpit door, his co-pilot was simultaneously assaulting him. [90] [91] Prime Minister Modi also spoke to Machchhar in Gujarati (in addition to Hindi), as both are originally from the state of Gujarat in the West of India. [91] [83] Modi spoke on behalf of the Indian people, encouraging Machchhar to make a full recovery and that the entire country was supporting his healing process. [90] The Prime Minister told the pilot his example illustrated the importance of saving lives to the Indian people, over and above harming others. [92]

Crown Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum visited Machchhar while in hospital in his country. [93] [94] [95] He said he represented the governmental leadership of the country in praising Machchhar for his actions. [93] [94] [95] The Crown Prince stated he felt pride at having Machchhar serving as a pilot within his country. [93] [94] [95] He said Machchhar represented the values of the UAE in emphasising humanity, peace, and kindness. [93] [95]

Machchhar had a call from his hospital bed with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 3 October 2026. [96] [97] [98] He told the Prime Minister new information about how he was attacked on the plane. [96] [97] [98] He said Hamam al-Hammami had gotten up two hours into the flight to pray, which Machchhar regarded as a routine activity. [96] [97] [98] Machchhar then felt himself being struck in the back of the head, and began to lose his ability of vision from the assault. [96] [97] [98] He said his flight attendants in his crew were trying to input the door code to enter the cockpit during the assault, but the assailant was not allowing them to utilise the entry code to gain access to help the captain. [96] [97] [98]

Indian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Deepak Mittal, released a statement that the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, held a special prayer session for Machchhar's healing and recovery from his injuries. [99] [100] The group consisted of expatriate devotees and swamis from India that were living in Abu Dhabi. [99] [100] Mittal said that Machchhar was recovering well from being attacked by his co-pilot, and thanked the community for their support of the flight captain. [100] [101] [102] He said the Indian Embassy in Dubai was monitoring Machchhar's situation, and relaying support to his family. [100] [101] Mittal met personally with Machchhar while the pilot was in hospital in Dubai. [101] [102] [103] He was receiving advanced and specialised medical care in the UAE, over and above that previously received in Saudi Arabia, in coordination with the government of India. [103]

Personal life and family

Machchhar lives in Dubai with his spouse Sonal Machchhar and two children. [7] [1] [5] They moved to Dubai for his role with Flydubai. [36] His family and friends call him by the nickname Smit Mac. [35] [104]

Awards and honours

India

Padma shri (cropped)2.jpg
MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney
Milind Deora.JPG
MP Milind Deora
Kartikeya Sharma.jpg
MP Kartikeya Sharma
Members of Parliament in India, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Milind Deora, and Kartikeya Sharma, each called for Machchhar to receive their country's highest honour — the Ashoka Chakra Award. [105] [17] [106] [107] [108]

For his heroism on Flydubai Flight 1073, Machchhar was awarded the Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award by the Government of Gujarat. [13] [14] [15] The award was announced by Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel. [109] Patel said the award recognised his bravery and calm demeanour under an emergency. [109]

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) wrote to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in a letter from 2 October 2026, requesting Machchhar be given a National Bravery Award. [110] [111] [112] The pilots body explained to the Prime Minister they requested the award due to the high level of bravery and professional demeanour exhibited by their fellow colleague. [113] [114] [115] Captain C. S. Randhawa, president of the FIP, asked Prime Minister Modi to investigate the attack against Machchhar, review operations documents and his healthcare reports, and then come to a determination as to the type of award given. [115]

Indian Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, and Sun Foundation Chairman Vikramjit Singh Sahney, publicised an award on 3 October 2026 to Machchhar. [105] [16] [17] Sahney declared a "Smit Machchhar Bravery Award" for Machchhar's courageous actions while under threat of his life while being attacked in his cockpit on the flight to Tel Aviv out of Dubai. [17] The award came with a monetary prize of 25 lakh Indian rupees (US$ 33738.37). [105] [16] [17] Sahney said the monetary portion of the award would use Machchhar's name to help budding young flight captains to receive scholarships for flight training school. [17]

Separately from the bravery award, Sahney wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi, asking for Machchhar be given India's highest award for peacetime gallantry — the Ashoka Chakra Award. [105] [16] [17] In addition to Sahney, member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, Milind Deora, also called for him to receive the Ashoka Chakra Award. [106] [115] [116] Deora wrote a separate letter to the Prime Minister's office requesting Machchhar get the Ashoka Chakra recognition. [116] [106] [107] He told Prime Minister Modi that Machchhar should get the Ashoka Chakra Award because his actions exemplified the values of selflessness and bravery. [116] [106] [117]

MP Kartikeya Sharma serving as a Member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament from Haryana echoed the calls of his colleagues to grant Machchhar the Ashoka Chakra Award. [118] [108] [119] Sharma wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi that was released, and also issued a press release, calling on the Indian government to grant Machchhar the award. [118] [108] [119] He said Machchhar was seriously injured in the line of duty while carrying out his functions as a pilot, and displayed admirable bravery. [118] [108] [119]

Alongside ministers of parliament, the student body organisation, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), echoed the politicians' requests for Machchhar to receive the Ashoka Chakra Award. [120] [121] The District Bar Association of Gurugram sent a letter to their local government administration requesting Machchhar be granted the Ashoka Chakra Award. [122] [123] The Tehsildar officer for Gurugram formally received the letter and forwarded it along to the office of the Prime Minister of India. [122] [123] G. D. Bakshi, retired Major General SM VSM of the Indian Army, called on his government to give Machchhar the Ashoka Chakra Award. Bakshi said Machchhar had the "stuff of which heroes are made". [124] [125]

Abraham Mathai, founder of the non-governmental organisation Harmony Foundation in Mumbai, nominated Machchhar for their Mother Teresa Award. [18] [19] [20] The organisation said it was going to give Machchhar one of their Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice because his courage gave pride to Indian people and the planet. [18] [19] Mathai said Machchhar's actions exemplified the values of compassion and selflessness of Mother Teresa. [18] Established in 2005, the Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice have been given each year to recognise people who advocate for peace, equality, and kindness. [18]

Mankind Pharma, an Indian multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare product company headquartered in Delhi, announced an award to Machchhar and his family, for preventing a disaster on his airplane, of 1 crore Indian rupees (US$ 134953.5). [21] [22] [23] Mankind Pharma Vice Chairman Rajeev Juneja wrote a publicly released letter to Machchhar, in which he told the flight captain he felt a high degree of honour watching the pilot display bravery before the world. [21] [22] [23]

B. S. Yediyurappa, Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, stated he would campaign for Machchhar to receive the Bharat Ratna — the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. [126] [127] He convened a press conference in Kalaburagi, where he publicly called on the President of India Droupadi Murmu and the Prime Minister of India to grant Machchhar the Bharat Ratna Award. [126] [127] He said the admirable deeds of Machchhar on his airplane had caused worldwide positive recognition for himself and his country. [126] [127]

Prime Minister Modi gave a speech on 7 October 2026, commemorating his 25 years of public service. [128] [129] [130] He praised the positive reputation Machchhar's actions brought towards his country. [128] [129] [130] Modi commented, "Today, India's pilot is discussed across the world." [129]

United States

2026 US House Resolution - Honoring Captain Smit Machchhar.pdf
United States House of Representatives Resolution
Recognizing Captain Smit Machchhar for His Bravery and Lifesaving Actions on Flydubai Flight 1073.pdf
United States Congress publication, the Congressional Record
Members of the United States Congress honoured Machchhar, through entering a U.S. House Resolution, and a submission to the Congressional Record . [10] [11] [131]

President of the United States Donald Trump was asked about his thoughts on Machchhar, in a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on the day after the incident. [132] [133] [134] Trump stated that he thought Machchhar was a "hero". [135] [136] [137] Trump noted Machchhar was able to respond on his airplane even though "the pilot was in very bad shape", after being attacked by his co-pilot. [138] [139] [140]

On 6 October 2026, the United States House of Representatives entered a bipartisan resolution that recognised Machchhar for his "extraordinary courage" displayed during the attack. [10] [11] [12] They commended the passengers, flight crew, and off-duty pilots for their actions. [10] [11] The U.S. Congress wished Machchhar and others injured a full recovery. [12] [141]

On 9 October 2026, US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi honoured Machchhar, with a submission in the United States Congress publication, the Congressional Record . [131] [142] [143] The Congressman concluded, "I ask my colleagues to join me in honouring Captain Smit Machchhar, whose extraordinary courage helped save hundreds of lives aboard Flight 1073. We extend our warmest wishes to him, his wife Sonal, their two children, and their entire family, and we hope for the captain’s full-speed recovery from his injuries at the earliest." [142] [143]

Israel

Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, stated his country would give an honour to Machchhar for his actions saving the lives of those onboard his airplane. [144] [145] [146] Ambassador Azar praised the pilot's courage under an emergency situation. [146] He said Machchhar's bravery had moved the people of Israel, and that the nation's government officials perceived his bravery under crisis. [146] [144] [145]

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu extended an invitation to both Machchhar, along with Indian Prime Minister Modi, to hold a triumphant torch during the Israel Independence Day for 11-12 May 2027. [147] [148] [149] Netanyahu explained the duty of holding a light in celebration during Israel's Independence Day is usually a task reserved only for citizens of Israel. [150] [148] [149] He emphasised to Machchhar that the people of Israel would make an exception for him, and adopt and welcome him into the celebratory process. [150] [148] [149] Netanyahu told Machchhar that the act of lighting a flame for the country on its Independence Day was the highest honour they could bestow upon him. [150] [151] [152]

Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel planned to name a lounge in the building in honour of Machchhar. [153] [154] [155] Politician Almog Cohen stated he would put forth a bill in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, to formally name the designated parlour area at the airport in Machchhar's name. [156] [157]

Israel chose to honour Machchhar, with its highest award possible given for courage displayed by a civilian. [8] [9] The State of Israel selected Machchhar to garner its Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. [8] [9] The award was announced by President of Israel Isaac Herzog. [158] [159] President Herzog stated he would give the award to Machchhar once the pilot had recovered further in his healing journey. [160] [161] Herzog sent well wishes to Machchhar, saying, "Once he regains strength, it will be my honour and privilege to award him, on behalf of the people of Israel, the State of Israel's Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism." [162] [163]

Cultural impact

Machchhar was compared by media including NDTV , WION , and the Deccan Herald , to flight attendant Neerja Bhanot and her actions aboard hijacked 1986 Pan Am Flight 73. [164] [165] [166] Bhanot was shot by hijackers while covering children with her body. [165] [166] Bhanot was posthumously granted the Ashoka Chakra Award in 1987. [164] [165] [166] NDTV and WION found Machchhar and Bhanot similar and heroic. [166] [165] The Deccan Herald , The Times of India , and India Today , commented on their selflessness. [164] [167] [168] CNN-News18 and India TV News explained the similarities increased Machchhar's consideration for the Ashoka Chandra Award. [169] [170] The Daily Jagran noted both, "became a symbol of courage". [171]

Sudarsan Pattnaik, a noted Indian sand artist, created a sand sculpture in honour of Machchhar. [172] [173] [174] He created the sand art at Puri Beach in Odisha. [172] [174] The piece honoured the pilot and also wished him a speedy recovery from his injuries. [172] [174] [173] Sudarsan Pattnai is recognised in India for making sand sculpture art depicting famous people and noteworthy events in the country. [173] Sand artist Munas Kumar Sahoo, also based in Puri, created an artwork tribute to Machchhar. [175] [176] [177]

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar praised Machchhar's role, saying the planet felt pride in his actions, and that he regarded Machchhar as a saviour of his passengers. [49] Fellow cricketers including Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, and Yuvraj Singh sent messages of support. [49] He received comments honouring his actions from Bollywood film actors including Shamita Shetty, Raveena Tandon, and Sonam Kapoor. [49]

Machchhar's explanation to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa while struggling for his life on the airplane, inspired others to create cultural works in his honour. [178] [179] Artist Yogendra Pal Singh Solanki created original artwork using grain rice to blend India's agrarian society inspiration with a depiction of Machchhar and Hanuman. [179] Israeli singer, Ben Raivitz, sang a version of the Hanuman Chalisa as a tribute to Machchhar's recitation on the plane. [178] [180] [181]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Arabic: همّام الهمّامي, romanised: Hamām al-Hammāmiyy
  2. ↑ Not to be confused with the Saudi soccer player Hammam Al-Hammami

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pokharel, Krishna; Hassan, Aakash, "The 38-Year-Old Captain Who Fought Off Cockpit Attack on FlyDubai Flight - Smit Machchhar is hailed for his heroism after being stabbed on Flight 1073", The Wall Street Journal , archived from the original on 1 October 2026, retrieved 1 October 2026
  2. 1 2 Dabhi, Parimal (2 October 2026). "'Valiant son of Gujarat': CM Patel announces state award for Smit Machchhar". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ahmed, Aftab; Sharma, Saurabh; Ahmed, Aftab (1 October 2026), "From textile engineering to cockpit hero: Indian pilot wins praise after flydubai drama", Reuters , retrieved 1 October 2026
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sengupta, Somini; Raj, Suhasini; Mashal, Mujib (1 October 2026), "Who Is the Indian Pilot Being Hailed as a Hero? - Capt. Smit Machchhar suffered stab wounds while fending off an attack from his co-pilot, saving the lives of around 170 people on board, officials said.", The New York Times , retrieved 1 October 2026
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mogul, Rhea; Shah, Ayushi (1 October 2026), "Captain Smit Machchhar: The 'jovial' pilot and father who thwarted the Flydubai attacker", CNN , archived from the original on 1 October 2026, retrieved 1 October 2026
  6. 1 2 3 "NZ-trained pilot stabbed on Israel-bound flight 'stood out' as student", 1News, archived from the original on 1 October 2026, retrieved 1 October 2026
  7. 1 2 "Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar's wife recalls shock: 'Didn't have the mental capacity'", The Times of India , 2 October 2026, retrieved 2 October 2026
  8. 1 2 3 4 Verma, Jatin (9 October 2026), "Flydubai flight attack: Indian pilot Smit Machchhar to receive Israel's highest civilian bravery award for saving 174 lives", WION , retrieved 9 October 2026
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Indian pilot Smit Machchhar to receive Israel's top civilian bravery award", Firstpost, 9 October 2026, retrieved 9 October 2026
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "US lawmaker introduces House resolution honouring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar", CNBCTV18, 6 October 2026, retrieved 6 October 2026
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Mahajan, Trisha (6 October 2026), "US House passes resolution honouring Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, condemns 'act of terrorism'", The Times of India , retrieved 6 October 2026
  12. 1 2 3 4 Patra, Shuddhanta (6 October 2026), "'Extraordinary Courage': US House Honours Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar For Foiling Flydubai Terror Attack - US House honours Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for foiling the attempted terrorist attack on Flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.", News18, retrieved 6 October 2026
  13. 1 2 3 Anwer, Laraib (1 October 2026), "Gujarat announces award for flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar in honour of his 'bravery'", Khaleej Times , retrieved 2 October 2026
  14. 1 2 3 Mahajan, Trishta (1 October 2026), "'Indomitable bravery': Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar to be awarded 'Visisht Gujarat Garima Award'", The Times of India , archived from the original on 2 October 2026, retrieved 2 October 2026
  15. 1 2 3 "Flydubai stabbing incident: Pilot Machchhar to be honoured with 'Visisht Gujarat Garima Award'", The Economic Times , 1 October 2026, archived from the original on 1 October 2026, retrieved 2 October 2026
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "MP Vikramjit Sahney announces Rs 25 lakh bravery award for Captain Smit Machchhar", The News Mill, 3 October 2026, retrieved 3 October 2026
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Babushahi Bureau (3 October 2026), "Breaking: MP Vikram Sahney announces Rs 25 lakh Bravery Award for Captain Smit Machchhar", Babushahi.com, retrieved 3 October 2026
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gonsalves, Michael (5 October 2026), "Captain Machchhar to Receive Mother Teresa Memorial Award 2026 - Dr Abraham Mathai, founder and chairman of the Mumbai-based Harmony Foundation, said Captain Machchhar's actions went far beyond the call of duty", Deccan Chronicle , retrieved 5 October 2026
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Mumbai NGO honours Captain Smit Machchhar", The Times of India , 4 October 2026, retrieved 5 October 2026
  20. 1 2 3 "Mumbai pilot Smit Machchhar nominated for Mother Teresa Memorial Award for saving 174 lives", Mid-Day, 5 October 2026, retrieved 5 October 2026
  21. 1 2 3 Kissu, Sagrika (2 October 2026), "Mankind Pharma honours Captain Smit Machchhar with Rs 1 crore for 'extraordinary courage' - In a letter to Captain Smit Machchhar, Mankind Pharma Vice Chairman Rajeev Juneja said he felt an 'immense sense of pride' watching an Indian demonstrate 'such courage before the entire world'.", The Print, retrieved 5 October 2026
  22. 1 2 3 "Mankind Pharma to give Rs 1 crore to Flydubai hero Capt Smit Machchhar, family", The Times of India , 3 October 2026, retrieved 5 October 2026
  23. 1 2 3 "'No amount of money can ever...': Mankind Pharma honours flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar with ₹1 crore - Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073 while the aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.", Business Today, 3 October 2026, retrieved 5 October 2026
  24. ↑ Al Lawati, Abbas; Shalev, Tal; Atwood, Kylie; Yee, Isaac; Schmitz, Avery; Bordeaux, Thomas; Rebane, Teele (2 October 2026), "Terrorist images found on Flydubai suspect's social media", CNN, retrieved 3 October 2026
  25. ↑ McCluskey, Mitchell; Shalev, Tal (1 October 2026), "What happened inside the Flydubai flight to Israel?", CNN, retrieved 3 October 2026
  26. 1 2 Zanger-Shamir, Maya (30 September 2026), "Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar reportedly aided rescue efforts while wounded", The Jerusalem Post, retrieved 30 September 2026
  27. 1 2 3 "Flydubai latest: Hero passenger says he put attacker in a chokehold after cockpit struggle", CNN, 30 September 2026, archived from the original on 30 September 2026, retrieved 30 September 2026
  28. 1 2 3 "'Hero' pilot stabbed by other pilot on Israel-bound plane, Israeli PM says", BBC News, 30 September 2026, retrieved 30 September 2026
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