An Indian Air Force HAL Tejas combat aircraft crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai Airshow on 21 November 2025 around 2:10 p.m. local time after the pilot flew across the site several times.
The aircraft lost control and dived toward the ground just prior to crashing inside the airfield grounds at Al Maktoum International Airport, where black smoke rose and sirens sounded.
The pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, sustained fatal injuries in the accident, and the Indian Air Force constituted a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause.
Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and managed the situation on-site, while the Dubai Airshow cancelled its final day.
India’s Press Information Bureau rejected social media claims of an oil leak on a Tejas aircraft at the airshow as false attempts to undermine the fighter’s technical reliability.
Indian Air Force shared “IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”
Dubai Media Office shared “Firefighting and emergency teams responded rapidly to the incident and are currently managing the situation on-site.”
India’s Press Information Bureau shared “false and attempts to undermine the fighter’s proven technical reliability with baseless propaganda.”
