An Indian Tejas light combat aircraft crashed during an afternoon demonstration at the Dubai Airshow, erupting into a fireball and killing the pilot. The single-seat jet, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, came down around 2:10 p.m. local time over Al Maktoum International Airport. Organisers suspended flying displays, evacuated attendees and cancelled the remainder of the day’s events. Authorities say they will secure the site and open an investigation.
Tejas Fighter Jet Plunges into Fireball at Dubai Airshow — Pilot Killed
An Indian Tejas light combat aircraft crashed during an afternoon demonstration at the Dubai Airshow, erupting into a fireball and killing the pilot. The single-seat jet, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, came down around 2:10 p.m. local time over Al Maktoum International Airport. Organisers suspended flying displays, evacuated attendees and cancelled the remainder of the day’s events. Authorities say they will secure the site and open an investigation.
08:56 PM, 11/21/2025Society
An Indian Tejas light combat aircraft crashed into a fireball during an afternoon demonstration at the Dubai Airshow, killing the pilot and forcing the immediate suspension of the event’s flying displays.
What happened
The single-seat Tejas, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), went down at about 2:10 p.m. local time over Al Maktoum International Airport during a scheduled demonstration. Thick black smoke rose from the runway as alarms sounded across the venue and thousands of spectators looked on in shock.
Casualty and response
The Indian Air Force has confirmed the pilot was unable to eject and died on impact. Emergency teams rushed to the scene and footage and photographs of the crash circulated widely on social media, showing a large plume of smoke above the airfield.
Event disruption and investigation
Organisers immediately suspended all flying displays and instructed attendees to return to the exhibition halls; later, visitors were directed to leave and the day’s remaining events were cancelled. Authorities said they will secure the site and launch a formal investigation to determine the cause of the crash, and that further details will be released as they become available.
Context
The biennial Dubai Airshow is one of the world’s largest aviation events, typically drawing more than 1,500 exhibitors and showcasing over 200 aircraft. This year’s edition had already seen major commercial announcements, including large orders by Emirates and FlyDubai.
"People attending the airshow have been told to leave and events are cancelled," a show spokesperson said.
Officials are expected to provide updates after the crash site is secured and investigators have begun their work.