Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Israel’s Independence Day ceremony next year, a symbolic honour that comes days after Machchhar helped prevent a Flydubai flight from crashing during a violent cockpit attack.
The invitation followed Netanyahu’s conversation with the Indian captain on Saturday, as investigators in the UAE described the September 30 incident aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 as an attempted terrorist attack carried out with a crash axe.
In Israel, lighting a ceremonial torch on Independence Day is regarded as one of the country’s highest public honours. The annual ceremony, held on the eve of Independence Day in Jerusalem, marks the transition from Memorial Day to national celebrations and traditionally recognises individuals whose actions have made an exceptional contribution to Israeli society, the state or the Jewish people.
Netanyahu invites Machchhar and Modi to light Independence Day torch
Praising the pilot Smit Machchhar’s actions during the mid-air emergency, Netanyahu said he wanted Machchhar and PM Modi to take part in the ceremony scheduled for May 2027.
“I want to invite you and my dear friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to light a celebratory flame on our next Independence Day. You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel, and you’re a hero of the entire world. I wish you a very speedy and complete recovery,” Netanyahu told Machchhar.
While Netanyahu’s invitation underscores the significance Israel attaches to Machchhar’s actions, torchbearers for the ceremony are not selected solely by the prime minister. According to The Times of Israel, candidates are considered by a public advisory committee before receiving ministerial approval.
Indian pilot recounts cockpit attack
During the conversation, Machchhar described for the first time how the attack unfolded inside the cockpit of the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight.
According to the captain, the flight had been proceeding normally when the co-pilot informed him that he wanted to pray. Several minutes later, while Machchhar was facing forward, he was struck from behind.
“It was a normal flight, and he wanted to pray, which is not out of the ordinary. While he was praying, out of respect, I was looking at the front, not at the back, and suddenly there was a big blow to the back of my head,” Machchhar said.
At first, he believed the aircraft had suffered a serious technical problem. It was only after repeated blows that he realised he was being attacked by the other pilot inside the cockpit.
The assault severely affected his vision and left him struggling to understand what was happening as the aircraft began losing altitude.
“I did try to stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing. And I was completely blurred out. And at that point, the next feeling that I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down,” he said.
Final effort helped open cockpit door
Despite his injuries, Machchhar said he continued trying to regain control of the situation. He managed to open the cockpit door once, but it was quickly shut again.
Lying injured on the cockpit floor, he could hear passengers screaming as the aircraft descended. Believing he might not survive if he failed to act, he made one final attempt to reach the door.
“I had one last fight left in me. Call it personal or call it for people, but let’s say I did it, that if I don’t do it, I’m going to die,” he said.
Using what he described as his last remaining strength, he forced the cockpit door open.
“And that’s when I pushed against everything I gave, everything that I had, and just went for the door and opened the door. And thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back and took over the control,” he said.
Passengers and crew then overpowered the attacker, while other Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers assisted in stabilising the situation. A reserve Flydubai pilot took command and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
UAE investigation labels attack an attempted terrorist act
The UAE investigation has since provided further details about the incident. Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators concluded that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist attack by using a crash axe stored in the cockpit for emergencies and trying to seize control of the aircraft.
The accused co-pilot has been identified as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami. Saudi authorities detained the suspect after the emergency landing before he was transferred to Abu Dhabi. Investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive, and the inquiry remains ongoing.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft lost about 16,625 feet of altitude in just over 30 seconds during the incident. More than 170 passengers and crew were aboard the flight, while Netanyahu has previously said Machchhar helped save 174 lives.
Netanyahu hails pilot as a hero
Reflecting on the incident, Netanyahu said he had also spoken with Israeli passengers who were on board and praised the courage shown by both the captain and those who intervened during the emergency.
“Frankly, I’m amazed at your courage, at your coolness of judgement under impossible conditions,” Netanyahu said.
He added that Machchhar’s actions went beyond saving the people on board.
“You’re a hero of Israel. You’re a hero of India. You’re a hero of the entire world. And I can tell you that people here will welcome you with open arms,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli leader also sent his wishes to Machchhar’s family, expressing hope for the captain’s full recovery.