UAE President honours flydubai captain Smit Machchhar and crew for mid-air heroism

Summary

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on Captain Smit Machchhar and the flydubai flight crew for their courageous actions in mid-air. Hindustan Times reports that the honour recognised the crew for protecting passengers during the September 30 attack, and NDTV reports that Machchhar was the recipient of the order. The Hindu reports that the medals were presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and describes the act as bravery during a mid-air attack. A later Hindustan Times report published the first images of Machchhar's injury, which show stitches on his head. None of the articles gives further details of the incident itself.

Timeline

1. Hindustan Times

   28 Oct 2026, 02:09 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on Captain Smit Machchhar and the flydubai flight crew for mid-air heroism.

2. NDTV

   28 Oct 2026, 02:46 UTCSource ↗

   NDTV reports that Captain Smit Machchhar has been conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II for courageous actions.

3. The Hindu

   28 Oct 2026, 07:21 UTCSource ↗

   The Hindu reports that the UAE President honoured Indian captain Smit Machchhar and the flydubai crew for bravery during a mid-air attack, with medals presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

4. Hindustan Times

   28 Oct 2026, 17:30 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that the UAE President honoured Captain Smit Machchhar and the flydubai crew for protecting passengers during the September 30 attack, and published the first images of his injury showing stitches on his head.