New Delhi: The Gujarat government on Thursday announced the Visisht Gujarat Garima Award for Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar and a ₹25 lakh cash reward in recognition of his actions during the mid-air emergency on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. The state chief minister, Bhupendra Patel, said the honour recognizes the Gujarat-origin pilot’s courage after he was seriously injured during the cockpit confrontation but continued trying to protect those aboard.
The announcement adds a formal state honour to the recognition Machchhar has received since the incident on Wednesday involving Flydubai flight FZ1073. The Gujarat government said the award would recognize his bravery and humanity, while the cash reward has been announced separately in recognition of his actions.
Patel announced the award on X, saying Machchhar’s courage was “being saluted by the entire world” and that his actions in helping save 174 people were “profoundly inspiring and commendable”.
Calling him a “valiant son of Gujarat”, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel said Machchhar had brought pride to both Gujarat and the country. “To honour his extraordinary act of bravery and humanity, the Government of Gujarat will bestow upon captain Smit Machchhar the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’,” he said, adding that the state was praying for his speedy recovery.
The Gujarat deputy chief minister, Harsh Sanghavi, also praised Machchhar, saying Gujarat was proud of its “brave son”. “Despite being gravely injured in an attack, he showed extraordinary courage and saved 174 lives,” Sanghavi said, adding that “the world salutes his bravery” as he wished the captain a speedy recovery.
As RNA Media reported earlier, Machchhar was seriously injured after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him during flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Despite his injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to intervene before other pilots aboard took control and the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar underwent emergency surgery in Tabuk and was subsequently airlifted to Dubai for further treatment. Indian officials have said he is stable, with diplomatic officials in the United Arab Emirates coordinating assistance for him and his family.
As RNA Media reported earlier, the captain has received public praise from the US president, Donald Trump, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, who called him a “HERO”, and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who described him as “a true hero”.
The Gujarat honour has been announced but is yet to be formally presented. Machchhar’s recovery and the continuing investigation into the circumstances and motive behind the cockpit attack remain the other developments being followed.