Israel to honour Indian pilot Smit Machchhar with top civilian bravery award for foiling plane attack

Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who fought off an attack by his co-pilot inside the cockpit of a flydubai aircraft, will receive Israel’s highest civilian award for heroism, President Isaac Herzog has announced.

Herzog made the announcement on Thursday while presenting the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism to six passengers who were aboard the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026.

“Alongside the Israeli heroes whom we honour today, we send our heartfelt wishes for the full and speedyrecovery of Captain Smit Machchhar of India,” Herzog said during the ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Machchhar’s “sheer courage and bravery and sound professionalism helped avert this catastrophe,” the Israeli president said. “Once he regains strength, it will be my honour and privilege to award him, on behalf of the people of Israel, the State of Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.”The award was presented to Tali Manes, Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan and Or Pardilov for their role in preventing an alleged hijacking attempt that could have resulted in the aircraft being crashed, the President’s Office said.

Praising their actions, Herzog described the six as having demonstrated a “simple, human, and profoundly Israeli act” by choosing to save lives when faced with a critical decision. “For all of this, I award you today the President’s Medal for Civilian Bravery,” he said, according to The Jerusalem Post.Machchhar has been hailed as a hero by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is recovering at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, where he is reportedly making steady progress.

Herzog also called for greater international cooperation to combat terrorism, drawing a parallel between the passengers’ actions aboard the flight and the need for countries to work together against the threat.

“Just as people from different nations joined forces to save that aircraft, so too must the international community stand united against the global threat of terror,” he said.