'No amount of money can ever...': Mankind Pharma honours flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar with ₹1 crore

Pharmaceutical major Mankind Pharma on Friday honoured Captain Smit Machchhar with ₹1 crore for his "extraordinary courage, composure and sense of responsibility in a moment of unimaginable crisis" during a mid-air emergency on the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv.

Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 while the aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The co-pilot allegedly attempted to bring down the plane, forcing the aircraft, which had 174 people on board, to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, north-west Saudi Arabia.

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In a letter, Mankind Pharma Vice Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Juneja said that he feels an immense sense of pride due to Machchhar's bravery on the ill-fated flight. He added, "At Mankind, we have always believed that actions speak louder than words. And when we say thank you, we want those words to have meaning and substance behind them."

While announcing the ₹1 crore contribution, he said, "A leader is not tested when everything is going well. The real test comes in a moment of extreme crisis, when fear is natural, pressure is immense, and the lives of so many people depend on your decisions."

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Pilots' federation seeks national award for Captain Smit Machchhar

Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Pilots requested the Prime Minister's Office to consider the flydubai pilot for an appropriate national bravery award/national civilian recognition. "Such recognition would not only honour Captain Smit personally but would also send a powerful message to the international aviation community regarding the value India places upon courage, professional responsibility, leadership, and the protection of human life," the FIP said.

Israel Consulate General thanks Smit Machchhar

As videos of flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar lying drenched in blood, wearing an oxygen mask and stretched out in the aircraft galley circulated on social media, the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai on Friday put up a billboard in the city hailing him for foiling his co-pilot's alleged attempt to crash an Israel-bound flight.

The public message came two days after flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers, including 27 children, transmitted emergency signals, plunged more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet and diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk city.

"India has a new hero, and Israel will never forget his name: Captain Smit Machchhar! Thank you, Captain Smit! Recover quickly. Israel is waiting to welcome you," Yaniv Revach, Israel Consul General in Mumbai, said in a post on X.

He also posted an image of the billboard with a message: "Thank you Captain Smit for saving lives. We wish you a speedy recovery."

Co-pilot identified in US media report

An Omani citizen, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified as the flydubai co-pilot who attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and allegedly attempted to sabotage the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight on Wednesday, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited people familiar with the matter.

Al-Hammami was reportedly barred from flying previously by Omani authorities for his radical ideological views, the report said. "The alleged attacker is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami," the WSJ report said.

The report added that he was born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother.

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What happened on board flight FZ1073

According to the background details, al-Hammami stabbed and seriously injured Machchhar on board the aircraft. Despite the attack, Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers to overpower the attacker.

The flight then transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of over 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, where authorities took al-Hammami into custody.

Machchhar speaks to PM Modi

On Friday, Machchhar spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and recounted the moments after he was attacked. He said he was fighting for his life, but was determined not to let others die.

He did not disclose what triggered the attack on him or the co-pilot's motive.

Machchhar, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the UAE, was also hailed as a "true hero" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.