Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday spoke to flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, praising his courage during the September 30 cockpit attack and inviting him to light a torch at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony.
“You are a hero for Israel, India and the entire world,” Netanyahu told Machchhar, adding that the invitation represented one of Israel’s highest Independence Day honours.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar over a call and invited him to Israel’s Independence Day event, honouring his courage during the mid-flight hijacking attempt. #SmitMachchhar #Netanyahu #IndianPilot #Israel #Aviation #Hero #IndiaNews pic.twitter.com/ZTgl6UvbMV
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) October 3, 2026
He also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the ceremony and conveyed his regards to Machchhar’s family.
During the call, Machchhar recounted how his Omani co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attacked him with an aircraft crash axe after standing up to pray.
Machchhar initially thought the blows were caused by a problem with the aircraft but later realised he was being attacked.
He said the co-pilot initially shut the cockpit door after Machchhar tried to open it. With what he described as one final effort, he managed to reopen it, allowing passengers and crew to enter and subdue the attacker.
Flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers, later landed at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with reserve pilots taking control.
Machchhar received treatment in Tabuk before being transferred to Abu Dhabi, where he was reported stable.
The UAE Attorney General described the incident as a “terrorist attack”.
Reports said al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about extremist views, though it remains unclear what flydubai knew about his history.
