Published: November 21, 2025 12:27 pm
Author: RT
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.
⚡️More Footage Of IAF’s Tejas Fighter Crashing At Dubai Airshow
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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, India signed a contract worth $7.1 billion with HAL for the purchase of 97 Tejas Mk-1A light combat aircraft (LCA).
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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.
