Indian jet crash kills pilot at Dubai Airshow

Videos of second Tejas aircraft crashing in as many years depicted thick smoke engulfing Al Maktoum Airport

An indigenous Indian fighter jet crashed during the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates killing its pilot, said a statement by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday.

"An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot was fatally injured in the accident,” said the IAF in a statement.

“Deeply regretting the loss of life,” it said, the IAF “stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief”. The IAF will “ascertain the cause of the accident,” the statement added.

Earlier, videos on social media showed the single-seater jet crashing down at the Dubai Airshow, billowing out huge amounts of smoke. According to Indian broadcaster NDTV, the crash occurred at around 2.10 pm local time before thick smoke engulfed the site at Al Maktoum International Airport.

The aircraft is developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and the incident at Dubai Airshow marks the second crash involving a Tejas aircraft in less than two years, said the report.

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, it added.

"A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF has said. This is the second known crash of the fighter jet, which is powered by General Electric (GE.N) engines and is crucial for India's efforts to modernise its air force fleet of mainly Russian and ex-Soviet fighters. The first crash was during an exercise in India in 2024.