Flydubai captain Smit Machchharwho saved the lives of 174 passengers during an attempted hijacking of his aircraftis being honored in the United Arab Emirates and India as he remains hospitalized with head injuries sustained during the attack.
Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum visited the captain in the hospital. Footage from the meeting shows Machchhar with his head bandaged and connected to an oxygen tube.
The Crown Prince praised the pilot’s actions, saying that “he embodied the highest levels of courage and responsibility for human life.” He added that the UAE leadership appreciates his actions and is proud that he is part of the airline’s team and the UAE’s story.
Meanwhile, Machchhar has received widespread recognition in India, including political and religious tributes. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) distributed posters depicting the captain alongside the Hindu deity Hanuman.
On Friday, Machchhar, an Indian national, spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed and described his efforts to take action despite suffering multiple injuries.
During the conversation, Machchhar told Modi that in the first moments of the attack, he was fighting for his life after sustaining numerous injuries and falling to the floor. At a certain point, he realized that unless he managed to act, the incident could end in disaster.
“I had so many injuries, but I told myself that I had to get up and act,” he recounted. “At that moment, I pushed myself to open the cockpit door.”
Source: www.israelnationalnews.com
