Two Kenyans working as cabin crew for flydubai have been recognised with one of the United Arab Emirates’ top state honours for helping to save passengers after a co-pilot turned on his captain mid-flight.
David Kimotho and John Muchina were among the crew of flight FZ1073 decorated with the First Class Order of Zayed II on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, alongside Captain Smit Machchhar. The award was granted by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and presented by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The President later met the decorated crew at a meeting also attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The leaders commended the crew for their bravery and sense of responsibility, saying nothing matters more to the UAE than protecting people’s lives and safety.
The drama unfolded on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, roughly two hours after the plane left Dubai for Tel Aviv. The co-pilot reportedly turned on the captain inside the cockpit and struck him with an axe in what is thought to have been an attempt to crash the aircraft, prompting a hijack alert.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar opened the locked cockpit door, allowing passengers and off-duty staff to rush in and overpower the attacker. Two flydubai pilots travelling off duty then helped take control of the Boeing 737 MAX and land it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Everyone on board survived.
In the cabin, Kimotho and Muchina cared for the wounded captain and worked to keep panicked passengers calm. At one point, one of them could be heard speaking Kiswahili and asking a colleague to check whether the pilot was still conscious.
An official at the award ceremony said the medals were conferred “to recognise the outstanding courage, bravery and determination of Flydubai staff and crew members on 30th September, 2026.”
Recounting the ordeal to The National, a newspaper owned by the UAE government, Machchhar said the first blow made him believe the aircraft had suffered a serious structural failure.
“In the next couple of seconds, when the hits kept on coming, I realised it was the other person who I thought was supposed to be on the team,” he said.
He struggled out of his harness while trying to fend off blows to his head, and his vision began to fade.
“Immediately, my hand went to the knob which opens the door,” he said.
He called out to his colleagues for help before blacking out and collapsing in the cockpit. As the aircraft lost 17,000 feet in altitude, he said, “the scariest thing that I heard and felt was the engines spooling down.”
Machchhar said the experience had not put him off his profession.
“Not at all. Not at all. I’m just glad that I was able to do my part,” he said.
Sheikh Hamdan, who visited the captain in hospital, paid tribute to him on X, writing that he “embodied the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life.”
“We are proud that he is part of our team… part of the story of our nation,” he wrote. “And part of what the UAE stands for… a nation of compassion, a nation of peace… and a nation of life.”
Israel has also announced plans to recognise the pilot, with President Isaac Herzog saying he will present Machchhar with the country’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.
The co-pilot was arrested, and authorities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are investigating the incident. Flydubai briefly suspended its flights to and from Israel in the aftermath.
