Tejas crash during an aerobatic display at the Dubai Airshow on the final day has left one pilot dead, the Indian Air Force confirmed. The incident occurred on Friday at 14:10 local time while the Tejas fighter was participating in the aerial demonstration.
The Indian Air Force said it has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased pilot in a statement posted on X. Authorities are working to establish the sequence of events that led to the accident.
The Tejas jets had been on display at the Dubai Airshow from 17 to 21 November. In recent days social media posts suggested fuel was leaking from one of the displayed aircraft, but PIB Fact Check on X dismissed those claims, saying the visible fluid was the result of routine draining of contaminated water from the aircraft environmental control system and the onboard oxygen generating system.
This is the second recorded accident involving a Tejas aircraft this year; an earlier Tejas crash occurred in March 2024 in Rajasthan. The repetition of such incidents will be a focal point for investigators as the probe into the latest Tejas crash proceeds.
The Tejas, a name derived from Sanskrit meaning flame or radiance, entered service with the Indian Air Force in 2016. It is India’s first largely indigenous single-engine fighter with over half of its components manufactured domestically. The aircraft is fitted with locally developed radar and is described by experts as lightweight with competent engine power. As a multirole fighter it can carry roughly eight to nine tonnes of payload and can reach speeds of about Mach 1.6 to 1.8 at 52,000 feet.
In September the Indian Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with Indian Aeronautics Limited to procure 97 Tejas aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027. The order underlines New Delhi’s commitment to expanding the Tejas fleet even as investigations continue into the latest crash.
The Tejas crash has drawn attention across the region, including in Pakistan, where analysts and aviation observers will be watching the investigation and any safety recommendations that follow as India moves ahead with wider Tejas deployments.
