US Congress leader Alka Lamba on Thursday called for the highest civilian honours from India and Israel for Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, praising his “extraordinary bravery, courage, and selfless service” after he thwarted an alleged mid-air attack that could have downed a flydubai flight carrying 174 people.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lamba, who serves as President of the All India Mahila Congress and is a member of the Congress Working Committee, wrote: “Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar’s extraordinary bravery, courage, and selfless service deserve the highest recognition.
“In my view, he truly deserves India’s🇮🇳 & Israel’s 🇮🇱 highest civilian honor, the ‘Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor.’ His remarkable courage in the face of danger is an inspiration and deserves to be recognized at the highest level.” She accompanied the message with images related to the incident and the pilot.
The call comes in the wake of a dramatic incident on September 30, 2026, aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
According to Israeli officials and passenger accounts, Machchhar’s co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, stabbed the Indian captain in the cockpit and attempted to crash the aircraft. The plane plunged thousands of feet in a matter of seconds—reports cite drops of around 14,000 feet or more in under a minute—while carrying approximately 174 passengers and crew, including many Israeli citizens and 27 children.
Despite serious stab wounds and bleeding heavily, Machchhar managed to unlock or open the cockpit door, enabling passengers, crew members, and others with flying experience on board to enter, overpower the attacker, and regain control. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities. Machchhar received initial treatment in Saudi Arabia before being transferred for further care; he has been described as stable and recovering.
World leaders quickly hailed the 39-year-old pilot as a hero. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a “HERO,” stating that despite being seriously injured, Machchhar showed “immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others” and helped avert a great tragedy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saluted his “extraordinary bravery,” saying the captain fought back, opened the cockpit door, and prevented a “catastrophic mid-air disaster,” saving 174 lives. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement describing him as a hero whose actions, together with those of Israeli passengers and Emirati crew, saved everyone on board. US President Donald Trump and other leaders also praised the pilot.
Machchhar, a Mumbai-based aviator with roots in Gujarat (Wadhwan in Surendranagar district), never originally planned a career in flying. He studied textile engineering with the intention of joining his family’s business and later pursued management studies at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute. An aviation seminar at age 19 changed his path. He trained in New Zealand, obtained his commercial pilot licence, and joined SpiceJet in 2011.
Over more than 11 years there, he rose to senior commander and line training captain. In June 2022, he moved to flydubai as a direct-entry captain on Boeing 737 aircraft. He has accumulated nearly 9,750 flying hours, the majority on the 737 family, including substantial time as pilot-in-command. He is married with two young children.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has already announced the state’s Vishishtha Gujarat Garima Award for Machchhar in recognition of his actions. Friends and former colleagues have described him as calm, composed, down-to-earth, and family-oriented—qualities that, they say, were on full display under extreme pressure.
Lamba’s appeal adds a political voice from the opposition ranks to the widespread national and international acclaim for the pilot. Investigations into the incident continue in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, while Machchhar focuses on recovery. His actions have been widely credited with preventing what several leaders described as a potential catastrophe on the scale of a major aviation disaster.
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