India’s Tejas crashes during Dubai Airshow 2025 demo flight: video

An Indian Air Force HAL Tejas light combat aircraft crashed during a flying display at the Dubai Airshow 2025 on November 21, 2025. The single-engine fighter went down at around 14:10 local time while performing an aerobatic routine.

Video from the venue showed the aircraft losing altitude before impact, followed by a column of black smoke rising near the showgrounds at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). Authorities evacuated sections of the crowd as first responders moved to the crash site.

(Credit: AeroTime)The Indian Air Force issued an official statement confirming that the pilot “sustained fatal injuries” during the display.

“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the service said. A court of inquiry is being set up to determine the cause of the accident.

All flying displays were suspended following the crash, with organizers halting the afternoon program as emergency crews secured the area.

A Tejas fighter aircraft from India participating in today’s flying display at the Dubai Airshow has crashed, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot. Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site. pic.twitter.com/LpdE87YjLM— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 21, 2025

India’s indigenous light fighter

The Tejas is India’s flagship domestically developed fighter program, designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by HAL. The IAF deployed the aircraft to the Dubai Airshow as part of a broader push to showcase India’s indigenous combat-air capabilities and expand export outreach in the Gulf and Southeast Asia.

In September 2025, New Delhi signed a $7.5 billion contract for 97 Tejas Mk1A fighters, expanding the Indian Air Force’s future fleet to more than 180 aircraft. The order aims to accelerate the replacement of legacy MiG-21s while sustaining HAL’s production lines into the 2030s.

The Mk1A variant introduces upgraded avionics, improved electronic warfare systems, and expanded air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons integration. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2027 under a compressed schedule described by Indian officials as “critical” to meeting force-structure commitments.The post India’s Tejas crashes during Dubai Airshow 2025 demo flight: video appeared first on AeroTime.

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