Highest degrees of courage: Dubais crown prince meets flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar at hospital
After meeting Machchhar, Sheikh Hamdan said the pilot had shown exceptional courage, responsibility and concern for the lives of others.
PTC News Desk: UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum visited Indian flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and praised his bravery during the cockpit attack.
After meeting Machchhar, Sheikh Hamdan said the pilot had shown exceptional courage, responsibility and concern for the lives of others. He also conveyed the UAE leadership’s appreciation for his actions.
“We are proud that he is part of our team, part of the story of our nation, and part of what the UAE stands for: A nation of compassion, a nation of peace, and a nation of life,” Dubai's Crown Prince wrote.
Machchhar is recovering in Abu Dhabi after his Omani co-pilot attacked him with a crash axe during Wednesday’s Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. The UAE has described the incident as a terrorist attack.
According to the UAE Attorney General’s Office, the co-pilot attacked Machchhar and then tried to take control of flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 passengers. Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door and call for help. Passengers and crew members then entered the cockpit and overpowered the attacker. A reserve crew later took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
Flightradar24 data showed that the plane lost more than 14,000 feet of altitude in less than 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities later handed the co-pilot over to the UAE following a preliminary investigation involving security officials from both countries.
Co-pilot's past under investigation
The co-pilot was identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. His identity was also confirmed to the Associated Press by people familiar with the investigation.
According to AP, Oman had previously stopped al-Hammami from flying because of concerns about alleged extremist views. He was later hired by flydubai.
It is still unclear how much flydubai knew about his previous removal from flying duties and what checks were carried out before he was hired.
PM Modi speaks to Machchhar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Captain Machchhar through a video call on Friday. He praised the pilot for his quick decisions during the attack and wished him a speedy recovery.
Modi told Machchhar that he had made several important decisions within seconds and helped save the lives of many people.