 "Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mark 1A, a light combat aircraft, takes off ahead of its maiden flight at HAL Nashik, India, on October 17, 2025. (Photo: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters)")
An Air Force’s (IAF) Tejas fighter plane on Friday crashed at the Dubai Air Show. The pilot died in the accident.
“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident,” the IAF said in a statement.
The Tejas crashed around 2:10 pm local time while the plane was flying a demonstration flight.
The news agency PTI has shared a video of the crash.
The IAF further said that a court of inquiry was being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The Dubai government also confirmed the accident and said and that firefighting and emergency teams “responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site”.
India has inducted around 40 indigenous Tejas Mark 1 fighters into two squadrons —Flying Daggers and Flying Bullet— so far and placed orders with the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 180 more aircraft of the advanced Mark 1A variant.
Quick Reads
View AllThese two Tejas squadrons were initially deployed in Salur, Tamil Nadu, and one of these squadrons was recently moved to the border state of Rajasthan.
Three Tejas fighters were part of the IAF’s contingent at the Dubai Air Show. The contingent also included the Suryakiran aerobatic team.
“The global event, with participation from over 100 Air Forces, aims to enhance interoperability, operational edge, and foster military as well as business cooperation. The event is scheduled to take place at Al Maktoum Airbase from 17 to 21 November 2025,” the IAF said in a statement earlier this month.