‘You have a family here’: UAE President’s heartfelt message to flydubai crew in video

Dubai: He walked in with his left arm in a sling, his hand wrapped in thick white bandages and a fresh scar on the side of his head. Within moments, Captain Smit Machchhar was in the arms of the UAE President. “It’s my honour, Your Highness,” the flydubai pilot said quietly as His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held him close.

Less than a month earlier, Machchhar had been fighting to stay conscious in the cockpit of flight FZ1073, bleeding from a head wound while 174 passengers and his crew depended on him. Now he stood beside those same colleagues as they received the First Class Order of Zayed II, one of the country’s highest honours.

“We are lucky to have you,” Sheikh Mohamed told him. “I’m very lucky to be a part of this,” the captain replied.

Glancing at the bandaged hand, the President asked when he would heal. “Maybe two months,” Machchhar said. Sheikh Mohamed smiled: “So I have an idea. When you heal, I want to have a session with you, to train you how to fight.” For a man who had fought off an attacker in mid-air, it was an offer to treasure. “It’s my biggest honour,” he said.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, went down the line shaking hands with each crew member and telling them, “Well done, well done.” Standing beside him with his hand on his heart, one of the pilots said: “I’m very grateful to be here and be a part of this.”

UAE President then turned to the whole team and waved them closer. “Guys, come here, come here,” he said, as the pilots in white shirts and the cabin crew in blue blazers gathered around him. “Whatever happened in your life, UAE is your country, and there’s a home for you here, and you have a family.” Videos of the moment have since gone viral on social media, with many people moved by the President’s warmth towards the crew.

The warmth of the moment was matched by the weight of the honour. The President conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on the crew in recognition of their courage in keeping passengers safe and securing the aircraft. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, presented the honours and commended the crew for their sense of responsibility under extreme pressure.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, attended along with several officials. The crew said they were proud to receive an honour that reflects service, dedication and commitment.

That recognition was earned on September 30, when flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv with 174 passengers and eight crew on board. Mid-flight, the captain was attacked inside the cockpit. He later recalled checking flight information when a heavy blow struck the back of his head. He kept drifting in and out of consciousness, but one thought kept him going: he could not die like this. Badly injured, he reached the cockpit door and unlocked it.

That single act changed the course of the flight. Crew members and passengers rushed in, overpowered the attacker and brought the aircraft back under control. Prosecutors have said the attacker was the 29-year-old co-pilot, who they say planned to bring the plane down over Tel Aviv.

The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely, where a passenger who was a dentist worked to stop the captain’s bleeding and keep him stable. Machchhar was treated in Tabuk before being flown back to the UAE, and Sheikh Hamdan visited him in hospital days later.

In the weeks since, the bravery of the crew and passengers has been recognised far beyond the UAE. The General Civil Aviation Authority commended the captain, crew and passengers, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Machchhar as a hero.

Israeli leaders announced honours for him and for the passengers who stepped in. In the United States, President Donald Trump praised his courage and the House of Representatives passed a resolution recognising the crew and passengers.

The crew of FZ1073 had kept 174 people safe in the skies. On the ground, the UAE made sure they knew they would never stand alone.