Captain Smit Machchhar Honoured With ₹1 Crore By Mankind Pharma For Flydubai Bravery
Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian Flydubai pilot who saved a mid-air cockpit attack from a potential disaster, was awarded ₹1 crore by Mankind Pharma on January 28 for his courage, composure and sense of responsibility in the mid-air cockpit.
Machchhar was piloting Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv when he was attacked by his co-pilot in the cockpit. There were more than 170 passengers on board and it was a sudden and steep descent. Machchhar had to act quickly to regain control of the situation.
According to reports, the captain opened the cockpit door while injured, and passengers and other crew members were able to intervene and restrain the attacker. The plane had to be diverted and landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and Machchhar was praised for his quick action.
Mankind Pharma said its ₹1 crore gesture was to recognise Machchhar's extraordinary courage and leadership in an extremely difficult situation. Mankind Pharma also extended the recognition to his family.
Rajeev Juneja, Mankind Pharma Vice Chairman and Managing Director, appreciated the pilot for his calm and responsible attitude when the safety of all onboard was at stake.
The honour comes as Machchhar is recovering from serious injuries that resulted from the cockpit attack. The Indian captain has publicly spoken about all of that and when he felt he had to act despite the injuries it brought on his life.
When he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone, Machchhar said he feared the passengers might be in danger if he couldn't get back on his feet and respond.
Machchhar has 17 years of flying experience and has worked with both SpiceJet and Flydubai. Before joining Flydubai he had spent several years flying for SpiceJet, including senior flying roles. During the emergency he was able to use his training to avoid the aircraft falling uncontrollably.
Political leaders and aviation officials have recognized the incident, too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar’s courage and presence of mind, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also publicly acknowledged the pilot’s actions.
Mankind Pharma's ₹1 crore honour is a further testament to the growing public esteem for Captain Smit Machchhar.
His courage at the Flydubai emergency has brought home the necessity of pilot training, quick thinking and passenger safety in all aspects of aviation.
