Dubai Crown Prince Visits Flydubai Pilot: Embodied the Highest Degrees of Courage

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Minister of Defense, visited Captain Simit Machhar, pilot of the Flydubai aircraft, who is receiving treatment at a hospital. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed shared photos of his hospital visit to the pilot on his X account, praising his courage, sense of responsibility, and commitment to passenger safety. He stated, “During my visit to Simit Machhar, the Flydubai pilot who embodied the highest levels of courage, responsibility, and care for human life.” He added that Machhar is held in the highest esteem and admiration by the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, expressing pride in being part of his team and of the UAE’s story and humanitarian experience, describing the country as “a nation of love, a nation of peace, and a nation of life.”

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) previously quoted UAE Federal Prosecutor Hamad Seif Al Shamsi as saying that investigations into the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv revealed that the first officer attempted to carry out a terrorist act. He clarified that the first officer “executed his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the cockpit using an emergency axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft’s controls.” The Federal Prosecutor confirmed that investigations are ongoing to uncover all circumstances, motives, and connections related to the incident, alongside completing technical examinations and reviewing physical and digital evidence. Final results will be announced as soon as all necessary procedures are completed, according to the agency.

The Flydubai flight, designated FZ1073, which departed from Dubai International Airport bound for Tel Aviv last Wednesday, made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.