November 21, 2025 | 08:20 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A domestically produced Tejas fighter jet crashed at the Dubai Air Show during an air show on Friday, November 21. The accident claimed the life of its pilot, said the Indian Air Force (IAF) as reported by CNA.
The fighter jet was flying low at around 14:15 local time after the pilot had flown past the biennial air show location in Dubai several times, as reported by NBC News. According to an eyewitness, the fighter jet crashed and formed a fireball.
Footage from the scene showed black smoke billowing behind the fenced airfield. The Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central was crowded with spectators, and sirens blared after the accident.
"A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident," said the IAF in a statement.
The Dubai government shared photos of the firefighting team dousing the still-burning debris of the aircraft. Emergency teams were reportedly handling the situation on-site.
The accident occurred on the last day of the air show, the largest aviation event in the Middle East, which began the previous Monday.
The two-city country's airport hosted the biennial Dubai Air Show, which has seen large orders of aircraft by the long-haul Emirates Airlines and its low-cost sister, FlyDubai.
Tejas Profile
This is the second crash of the fighter jet, powered by General Electric engines. The fighter jet is crucial to India's efforts to modernize its fleet of mostly Russian and former Soviet fighter aircraft.
The first crash occurred during a training exercise in India in 2024.
The Tejas is an Indian fighter aircraft produced domestically by the state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. This single-engine light jet is expected to bolster India's dwindling fighter fleet as China expands its military presence in South Asia, including by strengthening defense ties with arch-rival India and Pakistan.
In September, the Indian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, or HAL, for the procurement of 97 Tejas jets for the air force. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2027.
The Indian government also signed a deal with HAL in 2021 for 83 Tejas aircraft. Deliveries, initially expected last year, have been largely delayed due to a shortage of engines that had to be imported from the United States.
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