Pilot killed after Indian fighter jet crashes at Dubai Airshow

An Indian fighter jet has crashed during a demonstration at the Dubai Airshow, resulting in the death of the pilot.

The incident involving the Indian Air Force Tejas aircraft took place on the final day of the event, Dubai Media Office said on X. 

Firefighting and emergency teams were quick to manage the situation on-site.

The aerial displays at the Airshow resumed after being temporarily halted following the incident.

A Tejas fighter aircraft from India participating in today’s flying display at the Dubai Airshow has crashed, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot. Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site. pic.twitter.com/LpdE87YjLM

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 21, 2025

In a post on social media platform X, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said a "court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident".

The IAF said it "deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief".

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.

IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.

A court of inquiry is being…

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) November 21, 2025

Tejas is a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) developed by India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and powered by General Electric engines.

GE said in a statement it was ready to support the investigation.

This is the second crash of the fighter jet in less than two years. The first was during a drill in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer in 2024, in which the pilot managed to eject safely.

First manufactured in 2001 but dating back to studies first carried out two decades earlier, the Tejas was designed as a light combat jet to replace India's fleet of Russian MiG-21s.

The IAF expects to operate a fleet of almost 220 Tejas fighters and its advanced Mk-1A variants over the next decade after HAL completes the pending orders.

But the rollout of the fighter has been delayed due to slow deliveries of engines from GE, which has blamed supply chain issues faced after COVID-19.

"It is the first fully domestic Indian fighter that is not based on foreign designs," said British-based defence analyst Francis Tusa, adding that export interest so far had been limited. "There is work on a Tejas Mark II," he said.

Friday's accident was the first on record for the world's third-largest airshow, after Paris and Britain's Farnborough.

In 1999, a Sukhoi Su-30 crashed after touching the ground during a manoeuvre at the Paris Airshow, and a MiG-29 crashed at the same event a decade earlier. All crew ejected safely.

In 2019, Britain halted aerobatic displays during public days at the Farnborough Airshow following the crash of a vintage Hawker Hunter at a small show on Britain's south coast in 2015.