Captain Machchhar to Receive Mother Teresa Memorial Award 2026
Dr Abraham Mathai, founder and chairman of the Mumbai-based Harmony Foundation, said Captain Machchhar's actions went far beyond the call of duty
PUNE: In recognition of his extraordinary act of courage that saved 174 lives aboard a Flydubai flight, the Harmony Foundation has nominated Captain Smit Machchhar for its prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2026, honouring a hero whose bravery has made India and the world proud.
When Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was in crisis while flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, Captain Machchhar showed the world what courage looks like.
He was stabbed and seriously injured in the cockpit by his co-pilot, Hamam Al-Hamami, an Omani citizen, yet he refused to give up. Despite his injuries and blood loss, he fought back, reached the cockpit door and opened it.
That single act allowed passengers and crew members to enter the cockpit, overpower the attacker and help bring the aircraft to safety in Saudi Arabia. All 174 passengers on board survived the ordeal.
Dr Abraham Mathai, founder and chairman of the Mumbai-based Harmony Foundation, said Captain Machchhar's actions went far beyond the call of duty.
"Even after being seriously injured, he put his own life at risk to bring 174 passengers, including families and children, home safely," he said.
"His extraordinary bravery is an epitome of humanity in action, and the passengers who witnessed it have hailed him as a true hero," Mathai added.
"Captain Machchhar showed us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to protect others in spite of it," said Mathai, who is also the former vice-chairman of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission.
"In recognition of this extraordinary act of courage, Captain Machchhar has been nominated for the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2026," he said.
Mathai said the captain went far beyond the call of duty by putting his own life at risk and persevering despite his injuries to protect others.
"In doing so, he exemplified the spirit of selfless service and compassion that the award represents—qualities embodied by Saint Mother Teresa," Mathai noted.
He said people across the world were celebrating a man whose presence of mind and compassionate spirit demonstrated what one person can do for others. Had Captain Machchhar succumbed to his injuries, the outcome could have been unthinkable.
"Had he not fought back and opened that cockpit door, passengers and crew would not have been able to reach the flight deck, and the aircraft, with 174 lives on board, could have crashed.
"He refused to let that happen. Hurt and bleeding, he held on long enough to turn a potential tragedy into a safe landing, and every person on that flight is alive today because of it," the Harmony Foundation said in a statement on October 5.
The Harmony Foundation saluted Captain Machchhar's bravery and wished him a swift and complete recovery.
The Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice are presented annually to commemorate the legacy of Mother Teresa. Instituted in 2005 by the Harmony Foundation, the awards honour individuals and organisations that promote peace, social justice and compassion in a world facing constant turmoil.
With a history spanning 21 years, the prestigious awards have been received by heads of state, Nobel laureates, global organisations and exceptional individuals from around the world.