UAE President awards flydubai crew the Order of Zayed II — The National

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed awarded the crew of flydubai flight 1073 the First Class Order of Zayed II in Abu Dhabi for their actions during an in-flight emergency on September 30. As The National reports, the president recognized the crew members for their swift and decisive actions, which helped ensure the safety of passengers.

Awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Mohamed received the crew at a meeting attended by the country’s leadership, including UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. The awards were presented by the Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.

During the event, UAE leaders noted the crew’s responsibility in ensuring passenger safety. They stated that preserving people’s lives, safety and security is the country’s highest priority. The crew members thanked the president and expressed pride in receiving the award.

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Incident on flight to Tel Aviv

Flight 1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the Boeing 737 lost 17,000 feet of altitude in less than a minute. According to the UAE prosecution, the co-pilot attempted to seize control of the passenger aircraft and direct it toward Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

The investigation, according to the publication, concluded that the 29-year-old Omani co-pilot had been preparing a terrorist plot involving mass casualties at the Israeli airport. According to his confession, he was inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks and chose an aviation career to carry out such a plan.

Captain Smith Machchar told The National that the co-pilot struck him several times with an axe, after which the aircraft began rapidly descending toward the Arabian Desert. According to him, the captain managed to open the cockpit door, while crew members and passengers restrained the suspect and saved the injured captain.