DUBAI, Nov 21: An indigenous Indian fighter jet participating in the Dubai Airshow crashed on Friday, killing its pilot and prompting an immediate suspension of aerial displays, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed.

In an official statement, the IAF announced that an IAF Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) “met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident.” The force expressed deep regret over the loss of life and said it “stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.” The IAF added that a detailed investigation would be launched to determine the cause of the crash.

Footage circulating on social media showed the single-seat fighter failing to gain altitude moments after takeoff, before plummeting to the ground and erupting into thick plumes of smoke.

The Tejas, developed by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), was showcased at the Dubai Airshow as part of India’s push to promote indigenous defence capabilities. Friday’s tragedy marks the second crash involving a Tejas aircraft in less than two years. In March last year, a Tejas fighter went down in the Indian state of Rajasthan—the first crash since the jet’s maiden flight in 2001—though the pilot survived after ejecting safely.

Airshow Temporarily Suspended

The crash occurred at 2:13 pm, sending shockwaves through the venue and forcing organisers to suspend all airborne activities as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Most of the aircraft scheduled to perform were grounded as investigators and rescue teams secured the area.

After nearly an hour-long pause, the aerial segment resumed at 3:40 pm with an aerobatic display, reportedly by the Russian Knights team. The show later concluded with a dramatic performance by the UAE’s renowned Al Fursan aerobatic team, whose F-16 jets streaked the sky with trails in the colours of the UAE flag.

The original programme had featured a robust lineup of military and aerobatic aircraft, including the Dassault Rafale, B-52 Stratofortress, Mirage 2000-9, F-16s from the UAE and the US, the Extra 330 aerobatic plane, Joby Aviation’s eVTOL aircraft, and the Russian Sukhoi Su-57. It remains unclear why these aircraft did not participate following the resumption, though heightened safety protocols after the Tejas crash are believed to be a key factor.

The airshow—one of the world’s largest aviation exhibitions—continued with its ground events, before officially closing later in the evening.