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An Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed Friday afternoon during an aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, according to witnesses and event officials.
The incident occurred around 2:10 p.m. local time as the jet was performing before a large crowd. Emergency response teams were immediately dispatched to the scene.
The Tejas warplane executed a low roll before crashing in flames about a mile (1.6 kilometres) from the show site, the eyewitness told AFP.
The Indian Air Force confirmed the crash in a brief statement: “An Indian Air Force Tejas has crashed at the Dubai Air Show 2025. Further details are being ascertained. We will provide more information shortly.”
The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, single-engine multirole fighter aircraft developed by India’s state-run defense company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is designed for offensive air support, close combat, and ground attack operations.
The pilot of the IAF Tejas aircraft died in the crash, statement by the Indian Air Force (IAF). “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,” the IAF in a statement said.
“Deeply” regretting the loss of life, it said the IAF “stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”
Meanwhile, it added that the IAF will “ascertain the cause of the accident."
Earlier, videos on social media showed the single-seater jet crashing down at the Dubai Airshow, billowing out huge smoke.
Last year in March, a Tejas fighter crashed in India's western state of Rajasthan, “the first such accident in the aircraft's 23-year history since its maiden test flight in 2001,” while the pilot had ejected safely, according to a report by Indian broadcaster NDTV.
The incident occured on the last day of the Middle East's biggest airshow, which features a flying display each afternoon.
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