Tel Aviv: Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar will be honoured with the highest civilian bravery award by Israel.
He would receive the State of Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism once he recovers, Israeli president Isaac Herzog has announced.
Capt Machchhar was in charge of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when he was attacked with a crash axe by the Omani co-pilot.
Despite suffering serious injuries, he fought back and managed to throw open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to restrain the co-pilot, identified as Hammam Al-Hammami, and take control of the aircraft that had already gone into a dive.
Investigations revealed that Al-Hammami is a radical and wanted to crash the plane into a building in Israel. The Indian pilot’s action not only saved the lives of the 174 people on board the aircraft, but several others on the ground.
“Alongside the Israeli heroes whom we honour today, we send our heartfelt wishes for the full and speedy recovery of Captain Smit Machchhar of India. Captain Machchhar’s sheer bravery and sound professionalism helped avert a catastrophe. Once he regains his strength, it will be my privilege to award him, on behalf of the people of Israel, the State of Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism,” Herzog said.
The Israeli president has also honoured five Israeli passengers who helped overpower the co-pilot and prevent the aircraft from being crashed, as reported by timesnow.in.
“You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster. Today, the whole world saw the beautiful and courageous face of Israeli society,” he said.
Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier spoken to Capt Machchhar, invited the Indian pilot and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a flame at Israel’s Independence Day event, describing the injured pilot as a hero of Israel, India and the world.
“It’s our highest honour that we give on our Independence Day. It’s usually reserved for Israeli citizens, but I think here in this case, all the citizens of Israel will embrace you. They do now, and they will then too. So we hope to see you very soon in Israel,” Netanyahu told the pilot.