Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced on Thursday, October 1, 2026, that he will present the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism to four Israeli passengers who intervened to overpower a flydubai co-pilot during a violent mid-air crisis.
​The incident unfolded on Wednesday, September 30, aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying over 170 passengers. According to officials, the aircraft’s Omani co-pilot stabbed the flight’s captain, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, inside the cockpit and sent the Boeing 737 into a steep descent in an apparent attempt to crash the plane.
​The official account from the President’s Office details how passenger Tali Manes first raised the alarm after hearing commotion near the forward cabin. Her husband, Zvika Manes, along with passengers Yaniv Hayon and Asaf Rajuan, rushed into the cockpit area to confront the attacker.
​Working alongside the injured captain, the three men managed to overpower and neutralise the co-pilot. A fourth Israeli passenger, Dr. Shota Mosiyev, then entered the cockpit to provide emergency, life-saving medical treatment to Captain Machchhar, who had suffered severe stab wounds while defending the aircraft.
​Flight crew members stabilized the controls following the brief plunge, and the aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The passengers were later repatriated to Israel on a rescue flight, landing at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv late Wednesday.
​Speaking from the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem on Thursday morning, President Herzog praised the courage displayed by the four award recipients:
​”You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster. Today, the whole world saw the beautiful and courageous face of Israeli society.”
​Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also commended the actions of both the passengers and the flight’s captain. In a press statement issued from Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, Netanyahu praised Captain Machchhar for his resilience, stating that his bravery alongside the passenger intervention prevented a major disaster.
​The Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism established by Herzog to recognise extraordinary civilian acts of bravery, will be officially conferred upon Yaniv Hayon, Dr. Shota Mosiyev, Zvika Manes, and Asaf Rajuan at a ceremony at the President’s Residence. Authorities in multiple jurisdictions continue to investigate the co-pilot’s motives.
