Tejas fighter jet crashes during Dubai Air Show, pilot dies

A Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday during the Dubai Air Show. The Indian HAL Tejas crashed around 2:10 p.m. local time during a demonstration flight for a crowd, according to a report by Associated Press.

Videos circulating online show the jet -- a single-seat light combat aircraft (LCA) -- plunging down to the ground and going up in flames immediately.

VIDEO | Dubai: A Tejas fighter jet taking part in the Dubai Air Show nosedived during an aerial display and crashed this afternoon. The HAL-manufactured aircraft went down around pm local time while performing manoeuvres in front of a large audience. An official statement from… pic.twitter.com/qirtaKLivu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 21, 2025

A plume of black smoke rose above Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, drawing the attention of onlookers as sirens rang out in the aftermath of the crash.

Confirming the development, the Indian Air Force said, "An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. Indian Air Force 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."

HAL expressed its grief at the crash, and wrote on X: "...deeply saddened by the loss of the courageous IAF pilot during the aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. HAL expresses its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family."

HAL is deeply saddened by the loss of the courageous IAF pilot during the aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. HAL expresses its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. @IAF_MCC@SpokespersonMoD@DefProdnIndiahttps://t.co/ftizhf1lBE — HAL (@HALHQBLR) November 21, 2025

The incident marks the second case involving a Tejas aircraft in less than two years. Last year in March, a Tejas fighter went down in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer while returning from a tri-services military exercise in Pokhran desert in the first accident involving the indigenously-built single-engine jet since it began flying in 2001.

About the Tejas aircraft

The HAL Tejas is single-engine, 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft with a delta wing design. It is developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The Tejas had its maiden flight in 2001 and was inducted into the Indian Airforce in 2015. The first operational squadron of Tejas was formed in 2016.