Highest degrees of courage: Dubai crown prince meets hero flydubai pilot

UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum on Saturday visited Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar in Abu Dhabi, praising his courage in saving passengers during a cockpit attack by his co-pilot.In a post on X after the visit, Hamdan said Machchhar had shown “the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life” and conveyed the UAE leadership’s appreciation.“We are proud that he is part of our team, part of the story of our nation, and part of what the UAE stands for: A nation of compassion, a nation of peace, and a nation of life,” Dubai's Crown Prince wrote.Machchhar is recovering in Abu Dhabi after his Omani co-pilot attacked him with a crash axe on Wednesday’s Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, an incident the UAE has called a terrorist attack. ATTACK ABOARD DUBAI-TEL AVIV FLIGHTAccording to the UAE Attorney General's office, the Omani co-pilot attacked Machchhar with a crash axe before trying to take control of flight FZ1073, which carried 174 passengers.Despite his injuries, Machchhar opened the cockpit door and called for help. Passengers and crew overpowered the attacker, and a reserve crew landed the aircraft at Tabuk airport. The plane plunged more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds over Saudi Arabia, according to Flightradar24.Saudi authorities handed the co-pilot over to the UAE after a preliminary investigation involving security teams from both countries.CO-PILOT’S PAST UNDER SCRUTINYAl Arabiya identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Three people familiar with the investigation, including a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat, also confirmed his identity to the Associated Press.AP reported that Oman had previously barred al-Hammami from flying over concerns that he had adopted extremist views. He was later hired by flydubai.It remains unclear what information the airline had about his earlier removal from flying duties or how extensively he was vetted before being hired.PM MODI SPEAKS TO MACHCHHARPM Narendra Modi spoke to Machchhar by video call on Friday, praising his quick thinking during the attack and wishing him a speedy recovery.“You have taken so many decisions in a fraction of a second. And you have saved the lives of so many people,” he told the pilot.PM Modi said the entire country was proud of Machchhar. “We Indians are not the ones who take lives. We are the ones who save lives,” he said.An emotional Machchhar called PM Modi his biggest idol and said he had never imagined getting an opportunity to speak to him. He also said he recited the Hanuman Chalisa during the attack, as he does whenever he faces difficulties.- Ends