Pilot killed as Indian fighter jet crashes at Dubai Air Show

RT.com
21 Nov 2025, 17:57 GMT+10

The Tejas aircraft plummeted to the ground during a demonstration on Friday

An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot has been killed after his Tejas fighter jet crashed during a demonstration at the Dubai Airshow on Friday.

The IAF confirmed the incident in a post on X, writing that it "deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident."

A video shows the Tejas crashing midair over the Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

The jet had flown across the display site several times before it appeared to lose control and dive directly toward the ground, the Associated Press reported.

The single-seater light combat aircraft, developed by state-backed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Aeronautical Development Agency for the Indian Air Force, crashed around 2:10pm local time, according to media reports.

The Tejas is India's first indigenously developed jet, though it has a foreign engine, according to India Today.

Tejas means "radiance" in Sanskrit. The name was officially adopted in 2003.

In September, Indiasigneda contract worth $7.1 billion with HAL for the purchase of 97 Tejas Mk-1A light combat aircraft (LCA).

READ MORE: India and Russia in talks for Su-57 joint production

The order was placed for 68 single-seat fighter jets and 29 twin-seat trainer aircraft.

Deliveries are likely to commence in 2027-28, and were to be completed over a period of six years.

(RT.com)

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