Five Israeli Passengers Honoured After Restraining flydubai Co-Pilot During In-Flight Incident

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is set to present “heroism” awards to five Israeli civilians who helped overpower a flydubai co-pilot during an in-flight emergency and prevented what Israeli officials described as a potentially catastrophic incident. Herzog announced the honours on Thursday, praising the passengers for putting themselves at risk to protect others aboard the aircraft. The awards recognise the actions of civilians who intervened after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the Indian pilot and attempted to take control of the situation inside the cockpit.

“You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster,” Herzog said in a statement. He added that the incident had shown what he described as the “beautiful and courageous face” of Israeli society. Herzog, whose position as Israel’s president is largely ceremonial, said he was proud of the recipients and thanked them on behalf of the country. The planned recognition comes after details emerged about how passengers responded when the confrontation in the cockpit became known to those inside the aircraft.

Herzog also praised the aircraft’s Indian pilot, Smit Machchha, for his role in preventing the situation from becoming more serious. According to Israeli officials, Machchha was stabbed by the co-pilot but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. The passengers subsequently helped overpower the co-pilot, preventing him from maintaining control of the cockpit. Machchha’s actions have also drawn attention because he continued to respond during the emergency despite being injured.

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Herzog’s office initially announced four civilians as recipients of the heroism awards before adding a fifth recipient, Tali Manes. The office said Manes was the first among the passengers to recognise that something was wrong after hearing the commotion coming from the cockpit. She alerted other passengers and called for assistance, helping prompt the intervention that followed. Her husband was among the four recipients named in the initial announcement, according to the president’s office.

The incident unfolded aboard a flydubai aircraft and involved an alleged attack by the co-pilot against Machchha while the plane was in flight. The precise circumstances surrounding the confrontation and the co-pilot’s actions have been described by Israeli officials in their accounts of the incident. The passengers’ intervention became a key part of the response after the cockpit door was opened, with those who entered helping restrain the co-pilot. The episode has since led Israeli authorities to publicly recognise the civilians involved.

The decision to honour five passengers highlights the role they played alongside the flight crew during the emergency. Herzog said their willingness to intervene and place themselves in danger helped prevent a potentially serious outcome for everyone aboard the aircraft. The recognition will also include Manes, whose actions in alerting others were specifically acknowledged by the president’s office. The incident has simultaneously brought attention to Machchha, whose response after being attacked was credited by Israeli officials with helping passengers and crew gain access to the cockpit and stop the crisis from escalating.

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