02 October,2026 07:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
PM Modi on Friday spoke to Smit Machchhar through a video call. Pic/PTI
Calls for national recognition for Mumbai-based flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar have grown after he was seriously injured in a mid-air cockpit attack but continued to respond to the emergency aboard Flight FZ1073.
On Friday, Rajya Sabha MP from Mumbai, Milind Deora, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the government to consider Machchhar for the Ashoka Chakra, while the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) separately sought an appropriate national bravery award or civilian recognition for the pilot.
The incident took place on September 30, when Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers and eight crew members - 182 people in total.
According to a letter written to PM Modi by FIP, Machchhar, the pilot-in-command, was attacked by the first officer inside the cockpit and suffered serious injuries. The federation said that despite being badly injured and facing an unprecedented threat inside the flight deck, he continued to discharge his responsibilities and helped ensure that the aircraft was diverted safely to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
Reports have said that a crash axe was used in the attack. However, details surrounding the incident remain under investigation and authorities have urged caution until the facts are formally established.
Deora said in his letter to PM Modi that Smit Machchhar's actions demonstrated extraordinary courage and presence of mind and helped protect everyone aboard the flight.
The Mumbai MP said the pilot was seriously injured but continued to act, eventually managing to open the cockpit door and creating an opportunity for passengers and crew members to intervene.
Deora said he was making the request on behalf of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena, describing Machchhar as a "son of Mumbai who showed extraordinary courage when it mattered most".
The MP also pointed out that the Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration and can recognise acts of exceptional bravery and self-sacrifice outside combat.
The Federation of Indian Pilots has also approached the Prime Minister's Office, asking the government to consider Machchhar for an appropriate National Bravery Award or other national civilian recognition.
In its October 2 representation, FIP president Captain C S Randhawa described Machchhar's conduct as demonstrating exceptional courage, leadership and devotion to duty. The federation also asked that the case be considered after verification of the facts by the competent authorities.
The FIP said an attack on a pilot inside a locked flight deck presents a fundamentally different challenge from the operational emergencies for which pilots are normally trained.
FIP president Captain Randhawa had earlier said that the circumstances leading to the physical confrontation between the two pilots needed to be investigated.
He said the incident represented an unprecedented failure of cockpit resource management and cautioned that the exact circumstances would become clearer only after the investigation. He also said Machchhar had acted very bravely during the emergency.
