The crew was awarded the Order of Zayed II, First Class, for their actions during the incident, an honour typically bestowed upon foreign ambassadors and diplomats.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has honoured the flydubai crew involved in the September 30 FZ1073 incident with a medal in recognition of their courage and efforts to protect passengers.
The crew received the Order of Zayed II, First Class, for their role during the incident. The honour is generally awarded to foreign ambassadors, diplomats, senior officials and international figures in recognition of their contributions to public service and strengthening relations with the UAE.
Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, presented the medals at a ceremony. He commended the crew for their sense of responsibility and commitment to passenger safety.
The Emirates News Agency has released a video of the ceremony, showing UAE leaders meeting the crew, including Captain Smit Machchhar, who received widespread recognition for his actions during the cockpit altercation.
“I had that one last fight in me and gave it my all,” the captain said earlier.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, also praised the crew, describing the honour as recognition of their courage and determination to protect lives.
“An honourable feat of bravery that affirms that preserving human life is the noblest of duties and the most exalted form of giving,” he said.
The recognition follows earlier gestures of support from UAE leaders. On October 3, Sheikh Hamdan visited Captain Machchhar in hospital after he was injured during the incident aboard flight FZ1073.
What happened on flydubai flight FZ1073?
The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it was diverted to Saudi Arabia on September 30.
On October 9, UAE prosecutors said the flight’s 29-year-old co-pilot had allegedly planned to hijack the aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in an attack intended to cause mass casualties.
According to the UAE Public Prosecution, the co-pilot had made two previous trips to Tel Aviv to familiarise himself with the route and airport before allegedly attempting to carry out the attack on his third trip.
UAE authorities said on October 3 that preliminary investigations indicated the co-pilot had assaulted the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft while it was in flight. A crash axe is an emergency safety tool kept in the cockpit for tasks such as breaking through doors or panels.
The investigation into the incident highlighted the crew’s efforts to protect the passengers and maintain safety during the emergency
