US House Moves to Honour Brave Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar

The US House of Representatives has introduced a bipartisan resolution honouring Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, along with the crew and passengers of Flydubai Flight 1073, following the attempted terrorist attack onboard the aircraft. The resolution, introduced on October 5, commends Machchhar for his extraordinary courage after he was attacked in the cockpit and despite suffering serious injuries, helped enable the cockpit door to be opened so that off-duty pilots, crew and passengers could restrain the attacker and bring the aircraft to safety.

The resolution also commends the off-duty pilots, cabin crew and passengers for their role in securing the flight and calls for a full and expeditious investigation by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It further condemns the incident as an act of terrorism and an attack on international civil aviation. The measure has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for consideration.