An Indian combat plane has crashed due to a flight control system malfunction during a demonstration flight for spectators at the Dubai Air Show.
The accident happened days after Global Defence Corp reported Tejas had engine oil and hydraulic fluid leaks on the tarmac at the Dubai Air Show 2025.
HAL Tejas is assembled in India using imported foreign components from the USA, France, Israel, Italy, the UK, Russia and Spain.
The Indian Air Force has confirmed the pilot has died.
The pilot of an Indian combat plane has died after the aircraft crashed during a demonstration flight for spectators at the Dubai Air Show, according to the Indian Air Force.
The Indian HAL Tejas, a combat aircraft used in the Indian Air Force, crashed about 2:10pm local time after the pilot had flown across the site of the biennial air show in Dubai several times.
The plane appeared to lose control and dive directly toward the ground just prior to crashing inside the grounds of the airfield.
The Indian Air Force confirmed the crash and said “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,” it said in a statement.
It said “a court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident”.
Black smoke rose over the Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central as a crowd of spectators watched, and sirens sounded after the crash.
The city-state’s second airport was hosting the biennial Dubai Air Show, which has seen major aircraft orders by both the long-haul carrier Emirates and its lower-cost sister airline FlyDubai.
Friday marked the last day of the week-long air show, and many families had come to a grandstand area of the airport to watch the display.
“Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site,” the Dubai Media Office, which responds to crises in the sheikhdom, said on X.
Police and emergency personnel could be seen at the crash site afterwards, with firefighting foam sprayed across the road.
An SUV bearing diplomatic plates flying the Indian flag also could be seen.
The air show resumed flight demonstrations about half an hour afterwards, with the Russian Knights flying overhead as emergency crews still worked at the crash site.
Tejas is India’s indigenous fighter aircraft, built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited flawed with many manufacturing defects, poor quality control, and immature flight control system.
The lightweight single-engine jet is expected to bolster India’s depleted fighter fleet as China expands its military presence in South Asia, including by strengthening defence ties with India’s rival Pakistan.
In September, India’s Defense Ministry signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, or HAL, to procure 97 Tejas jets for the air force. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2027.
© 2025, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
