2 days ago
Captain Smit Machchhar Nominated for 2026 Mother Teresa Award
Captain Smit Machchhar was flying a plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv when an emergency happened.
The article says his co-pilot attacked and badly injured him.
Even though he was hurt, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door.
Passengers and crew then entered and stopped the attacker.
The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
All 174 people on board survived.
A group called the Harmony Foundation has nominated Captain Machchhar for an award.
The award recognizes people who show compassion and work for social justice.
The Harmony Foundation nominated Captain Smit Machchhar for its 2026 Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice.
The nomination recognizes his actions during Flydubai Flight FZ1073’s emergency on September 30.
The article says co-pilot Hamam Al-Hamami stabbed Machchhar in the cockpit, seriously injuring him.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to subdue the attacker.
All 174 people aboard survived, and the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
- Who
- Captain Smit Machchhar was nominated by the Harmony Foundation; the article identifies co-pilot Hamam Al-Hamami as the attacker.
- What
- Machchhar was nominated for the 2026 Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice for his actions during an in-flight emergency.
- Where
- The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv and landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
- When
- The flight emergency occurred on September 30; the foundation announced the nomination in a statement dated October 5. The year of those dates is not stated in the article.
- Why
- The foundation said the nomination recognizes Machchhar’s courage and efforts to protect passengers and crew despite being seriously injured.
Foundation’s account
Other perspectives
Account of the emergency and nomination
Foundation’s account
The Harmony Foundation says Machchhar’s actions helped passengers and crew reach the cockpit, subdue the attacker and bring the flight to safety; it nominated him for the award.
Other perspectives
The article provides no opposing account or response from the co-pilot, airline or other named parties, so no contrasting viewpoint is reported.
Key facts
- Nominee
- Captain Smit Machchhar
- Award
- Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2026
- Nominating organization
- Harmony Foundation
- Flight
- Flydubai Flight FZ1073
- People aboard
- 174 passengers; all people on board survived
- Flight route
- Dubai to Tel Aviv; the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia
- Emergency date
- September 30; the year is not specified in the article
- Award established
- The Harmony Foundation instituted the awards in 2005
Quotes
Dr Abraham Mathai
Founder and chairman of the Harmony Foundation.
“Even after being seriously injured, he put his own life at risk to bring 174 passengers, including families and children, home safely.”
deccanchronicle.com
“Captain Machchhar showed us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to protect others in spite of it.”
deccanchronicle.com
Harmony Foundation
Mumbai-based organisation that nominated Captain Machchhar for the award.
“He refused to let that happen. Hurt and bleeding, he held on long enough to turn a potential tragedy into a safe landing, and every person on that flight is alive today because of it.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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