This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Last updated 6:45 am EST on Friday, November 21st by Jake Hardiman.
A plane has crashed on the final day of the 
Dubai Airshow 2025. Pictures from the scene on Friday afternoon show a cloud of smoke on the far side of the airfield at 
Al Maktoum International Airport. The aircraft involved is thought to have been a HAL Tejas fighter jet from India, with word going around that its pilot didn’t eject. Details in the early stages of the aftermath of the accident remain scarce.
Reporting by Turkish defense publication SavunmaSanayiST suggests that the same aircraft was reported to have experienced a fuel leak the previous day. Gulf News reports that these claims, however, were rejected by India’s Ministry of Defence, which said that viral videos of the supposed leak in fact showed routine condensation draining. In any case, we will endeavour to bring you more details as we get them throughout the day.
Further Statements Issued As Flying Display Restarts
Friday, November 21st, 6:45 am EST
The temporary suspension of the flying display in the aftermath of the accident has come to an end. As pictured above, aircraft are now back in the skies around 90 minutes after the crash.
The Dubai Media Office has issued a statement in response to the accident. It says that “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.” Meanwhile, Simple Flying’s Managing Editor, Tom Boon, shared the following from Dubai:
“I was just sitting down for a meeting with my back to the flying display. I heard somebody say “Oh S***,” and turned around to see a fireball rising into the air. Nobody was sure what was happening, but everybody sprang into action. Fire and rescue crews quickly started driving in the direction of the accident.”
Indian Air Force Confirms Pilot’s Death
Friday, November 21st, 6:15 am EST
Reports by those present at the event suggest that, while the flying display program has been halted and the mood is very subdued, it will be business as usual on the ground until the airshow closes later today. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed the sad news that the pilot of the aircraft perished in today’s crash through a short statement released via its Media Coordination Centre. It went on to explain that:
“An IAF Tejas aircraft [had] an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. The IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.”
Is The Indian Air Force Likely To Get Its 1st LCA Mk1A HAL Tejas By Mid-2025?
The Indian Air Force is set to receive its first Mk1A HAL Tejas soon after the expected delivery of the GE F404 engines.
Early Details
Friday, November 21st, 6:05 am EST
The incident occurred at around 2:10 pm local in Dubai, at which point the Indian HAL Tejas fighter jet was engaged in a planned demonstration as part of the flying display program on the final day of the airshow before crashing to the ground at the airfield. According to Gulf News, the flying display has temporarily been halted in response to the accident, with airshow attendees asked to return to the event’s main exhibition area.
While rescue operations are said to have been carried out immediately, the relevant authorities have yet to release any information regarding the condition of the pilot of the aircraft that was involved in today’s crash. Videos of the accident have begun to circulate, with one seeming to show the aircraft rolling onto its back and diving towards the ground but being unable to pull up in time to avoid a collision with the surface.
The HAL Tejas was considered to be the future of Indian military aviation, with Simple Flying reporting last year that the country’s Air Force was transitioning its operations to this 4.5th-generation fighter, having previously flown the fourth-generation Dassault Mirage 2000 from France. The aircraft, whose name means ‘Radiant,’ first flew in 2001, but didn’t enter service until 2015. To date, a reported 38 have been built, plus 17 prototypes.
