India, Oct. 3 -- Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the deputy Prime Minister of UAE, called on Smit Machchhar on Saturday and praised the flydubai pilot's "courage and responsibility"

Al Maktoum said Machchhar had "embodied high degrees of courage", and conveyed the UAE leadership's "appreciation" to the Indian pilot.

Machchhar was the Captain on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight, during which he was stabbed by his co-pilot, now identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. However, Machchhar was able to open the cockpit door despite being injured, allowing passengers to enter and restrain the Omani co-pilot.

A second set of pilots onboard the plane then took control of the flight, while o...