Dubai: An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, killing the pilot. The incident occurred at around 2:15 pm local time (1015 GMT) while the jet was performing several laps over the show site.
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Eyewitnesses described the jet going into a nose-dive, producing multiple fireballs upon impact. “Everybody in the crowd stood up, and within 30 seconds, emergency vehicles rushed to the crash site,” said Jignesh Variya, who was attending the airshow with his family.
The IAF confirmed the pilot’s death in a statement on X, expressing deep regret and announcing that a court of inquiry will be constituted to determine the cause of the accident. India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and all ranks of the armed forces expressed condolences to the family.
Dubai authorities shared photographs of firefighting teams dousing the wreckage and confirmed that emergency services were managing the site. The Dubai Airshow resumed after a brief one-hour pause, with remaining aerial displays continuing as scheduled.
This marks the second known crash of the Tejas fighter jet, which is built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and powered by General Electric engines. The first crash occurred during a military exercise in India in 2024. The Tejas, India’s first indigenous light combat aircraft, is designed to replace older Russian MiG-21 fighters and has seen years of development and delays.
Modern variants of the jet are equipped with advanced avionics, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, and electronic warfare systems. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of air-to-air missiles, including I-Derby ER, Astra BVR, R-73, Python-5, and ASRAAM.
HAL recently signed a deal with General Electric for 113 engines to power the Tejas fleet, with deliveries expected over five years starting in 2027. Supply delays from GE have previously slowed the rollout of the aircraft, with only four of 99 engines ordered in 2021 delivered so far.
The Tejas fighter jet, whose name means “brilliance” in Sanskrit, remains a critical component of India’s efforts to modernize its air force fleet. The crash is the first in the history of the Dubai Airshow, which is one of the world’s largest and most international aviation events.
