Indian Tejas Fighter Jet Crashes at Dubai Airshow, Pilot Killed

News Desk 

Dubai/New Delhi: An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, killing the pilot and prompting a brief halt to the event — the first such accident in the airshow’s history since 1986.

Eyewitness Jignesh Variya, 46, told Reuters the aircraft had been airborne for only eight to nine minutes before it suddenly went into a nose-dive around 2:15pm local time (1015 GMT). “I could see three different fireballs when it collided with the ground,” he said, adding that emergency vehicles arrived within 30 seconds.

The IAF confirmed the pilot’s death, saying the aircraft “met with an accident during an aerial display.” A court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause. India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the Indian Armed Forces expressed deep regret over the tragedy.

Dubai Media Office said firefighting and rescue teams responded rapidly and were managing the situation on-site. A photograph released by Dubai authorities showed emergency crews dousing the burning wreckage.

The airshow paused for an hour before flying displays resumed.

Indian media reported that the Tejas jet went down while performing an aerial manoeuvre. This marks the second known crash of the indigenous fighter, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and powered by a General Electric engine. The first occurred during an exercise in India in 2024.

GE said it was ready to support the investigation and extended condolences to the pilot’s family.

The accident occurred on the final day of the Middle East’s largest aviation event, which draws thousands of visitors, global aviation leaders, and military delegations, including from India, China, Russia, and Pakistan.

The Tejas — India’s first fully indigenous fighter aircraft — has long been touted as key to modernising the country’s ageing fleet of Russian-made jets. Despite decades of development delays, the aircraft has been gradually inducted into the IAF since 2016, with upgraded variants featuring AESA radar, advanced avionics, and a range of Indian and foreign air-to-air missiles.

India recently signed a deal with GE to purchase 113 additional engines, though deliveries of a previous order placed in 2021 have been delayed due to global supply chain issues.

A full investigation by Dubai Airshow authorities and the IAF is underway.