UAE Deputy Prime Minister Visits flydubai Captain in Abu Dhabi Hospital, Praising His Courage
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, visited flydubai captain Smit Machchhar in hospital in Abu Dhabi on October 3. In a post on X, he praised the pilot's courage, responsibility and care for people's lives.
Hamdan said the captain had the full appreciation and praise of the country's leadership, adding that the UAE is proud for him to be part of its team and of the nation's story. Machchhar had prevented the co-pilot's attempt to seize the aircraft on flight FZ1073 on September 30; after the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, he received initial treatment in Tabuk before being transferred to Abu Dhabi to continue his recovery.
India's Ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, said the captain was in good health and recovering well, and that he had met the pilot's family and conveyed the Indian government's full support. Officials of both countries credited the captain's actions with saving everyone on board.
For the UAE, where expatriate professionals form the majority of the population, the visit publicly wrote a foreign captain into the national story — a signal of value recognised by expatriate workers across sectors, including Chinese crew members and engineers in Gulf aviation.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：flydubai波音737客机停靠在克拉科夫机场停机坪。摄影：Bahnfrend，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
