Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday announced that the state government will confer the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’ on Indian pilot Smit Machchhar. The honour recognises his courage in saving 174 passengers on a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight even though he was grievously injured in an attack inside the cockpit.
Captain Machchhar was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot in the cockpit. Severely hurt, he still fought back and managed to open the door to seek help, which saved the plane. The flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, and all passengers were safe.
“The courage of Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot of the flight headed to Israel, is being saluted by the entire world today. Despite being drenched in blood due to the attack, he displayed indomitable bravery to save the lives of 174 passengers—a feat that is profoundly inspiring and commendable,” Patel wrote on X.
“This valiant son of Gujarat has illuminated the name of Gujarat and the nation across the globe through his heroism. The Gujarati spirit flowing in his veins fills us all with immense pride. To honor his extraordinary act of bravery and humanity, the Government of Gujarat will bestow upon Captain Smit Machhar the Visisht Gujarat Garima Award,” he added.
The chief minister also prayed for the pilot’s recovery. “The empathy and prayers of the nation’s citizens are with Captain Smit Machchhar,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have already praised the pilot’s courage.
Israel to formally recognise pilot’s valour, says Ambassador
Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, said Israel will also honour Captain Machchhar for averting a major disaster and saving the lives of around 180 people.
Azar said the pilot’s valour had drawn attention across Israel, including from the President and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He praised Machchhar for saving both the passengers and the aircraft despite his serious injuries.
The ambassador said Israel “does not forget its friends” who stand with it in times of crisis. He linked the incident to the period close to the third anniversary of the October 7 terror attack, calling it another terror strike that was averted.
Azar said Israel had scrambled fighter jets amid concerns over the threat posed by the aircraft. Netanyahu was in a security huddle discussing the situation when Machchhar’s actions helped avert a potential catastrophe, he said. Israel would formally recognise the pilot’s “valour and bravery”, Azar added.
PM Modi said Machchhar had shown “remarkable patience, presence of mind, and courage”. He described the pilot as a “HERO” and said his valour helped avert a major tragedy and save lives.
Netanyahu saluted Machchhar for his “extraordinary bravery”. He said that despite being stabbed and seriously injured, the pilot opened the cockpit door and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker.
Trump called the Indian pilot “a hero”. He said Machchhar, even though badly wounded, managed to open the cockpit door and call for help.
‘He was an absolute hero’
Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun also hailed Captain Machchhar. Hayun stormed into the cockpit, overpowered the attacking co-pilot and then worked on the controls to steady the diving aircraft.
“You’re not going to die today,” Hayun told the stabbed Indian pilot.
“He was an absolute hero. I told him, ‘You’re not going to die today’,” Hayun recalled.
“Captain Smit, it’s a hero. I want to thank him for letting us inside the cockpit, or all of us would have died,” he added.
“Despite his injuries, he fought back. He saved us, and we are very grateful. We wish him a quick recovery, and we would like to speak to him and thank him in person.”
‘Remember his name: Smit Machchhar’
After the dramatic incident aboard the flydubai flight, social media was full of messages hailing the Indian pilot. Several Israelis posted videos thanking him and calling him a hero, after Israeli authorities said his actions helped prevent a catastrophe involving more than 170 passengers.
“Remember his name: Smit Machchhar.” That was the message echoing across social media.
One video after another carried messages of gratitude for the captain. Users in Israel described him as brave and urged others to remember his name.
Israeli content creator Einav Avizemer posted a video thanking both Machchhar and India.
“I want to take this opportunity and thank the Indian pilot. What a hero,” she said. She added that without his actions, “it could end up in a whole different way”.
