Dubai, UAE – A pilot died Friday after an Indian HAL Tejas fighter aircraft crashed during a presentation flight at the Dubai Air Show, the Indian Air Force confirmed. The crash occurred around 2:10 p.m.local time at Al Maktoum International airport at Dubai World central, with witnesses reporting the plane appeared to lose control and dive toward the ground.
“The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident,” the Indian Air Force stated,adding,”IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.” A court of inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
The Tejas is India‘s domestically produced, lightweight, single-engine fighter jet, built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is intended to strengthen India’s air force, which has a depleted fighter fleet, amid increasing military activity in South Asia, including China’s growing defense relationship with Pakistan.
India’s Defense Ministry signed a contract with HAL in September to procure 97 Tejas jets, with deliveries anticipated to begin in 2027. A prior deal for 83 Tejas aircraft, signed in 2021, has faced delivery delays, largely due to shortages of engines imported from the United States.
