Captain Smit Machchhar, a pilot for Flydubai, has been honored with the United Arab Emirates' First Class Order of Zayed II for his bravery in thwarting an attempted hijacking on September 30. The incident occurred on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv when his co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attacked him with a crash axe and attempted to crash the aircraft.
Mr. Machchhar sustained a severe head injury, including a compound depressed skull fracture, but managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers and other crew members then subdued al-Hammami, preventing the plane from plunging 14,000 feet in 30 seconds. The foiled attack has been compared to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
During the award ceremony, Mr. Machchhar's head injuries, including visible surgical staples, were apparent. He received the medal from UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Fellow crew members were also commended for their actions during the incident.
Al-Hammami, an Omani national, reportedly confessed to the plot. According to UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al Shamsi, al-Hammami became radicalized while studying in Australia between 2017 and 2019. His drift towards extremism was influenced by Takfiri ideology, extremist literature, and online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks. He drew inspiration from the 9/11 attacks, developing a firm intention to carry out a similar operation using an aircraft.
Authorities believe al-Hammami acted as a "lone wolf" extremist and had planned to crash Flydubai flight 1073 into a terminal at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport.
Following the incident, the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where Mr. Machchhar received medical attention. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mr. Machchhar as a "true hero," and the Crown Prince of Dubai, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, met with the captain in the hospital to commend his courage. The Israeli government had stated they would have been prepared to shoot down the aircraft if it had approached Israeli airspace with hostile intent.
