FlyDubai
UAE official calls FlyDubai incident “terrorist act,” praises pilot
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Gargash praised captain Smit Machchhar for his actions during the incident.
- Machchhar, an Indian national, was attacked by his co-pilot, according to Gargash.
- The UAE official said the captain’s actions helped avert a potentially serious disaster.
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash on Friday described an incident aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv as a “terrorist act” and praised the captain for his handling of the situation.
Gargash identified the captain as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and described him as a “true hero” for confronting what he called a serious terrorist act and potential disaster.
In a post on X, Gargash said Machchhar demonstrated courage and responsibility during the incident and deserved broad recognition for his actions.
يستحق الطيار الهندي في "فلاي دبي" سميت ماتشهار كل التقدير، فقد جسّد في مواجهة عمل ارهابي خطير وكارثة محتملة معنى الشجاعة والمسؤولية. مهنيته وحسّه الأخلاقي في أحلك الظروف يجعلان منه بطلاً حقيقياً.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) October 2, 2026
بعيدا عن الاختزال السهل لما جرى أو تبني وترويج نظريات المؤامرة، تبقى اليقظة…
The official said the captain had been attacked by his co-pilot, without providing further details in his statement.
Read more: UAE Foreign Ministry issues statement on flyDubai incident
