Story ID: 
Indian Fighter Jet Crashes at Dubai Airshow
By: Hanneke Weitering
Caption: Indian Air Force confirms sole pilot on board was killed
Word Count: 575
An Indian Tejas fighter jet crashed while performing in the Dubai Airshow’s flying display on Friday morning, killing its sole pilot, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed in a statement.
“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,” the IAF said. The pilot has been identified as Naman Syal, an IAF wing commander in his mid-30s who hailed from the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
According to media reports, the Tejas jet crashed near Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central at approximately 2:10 p.m. local time (5:10 a.m. EST) on Friday, the final day of the biennial Dubai Airshow. Flying performances reportedly resumed after the accident. 
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
In service with the IAF since 2015, the Tejas is a single-engine, fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft designed by India’s Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is India’s second domestically produced fighter jet, after the HAL HF-24 Marut. 
Friday’s crash marks the second accident for the Tejas. Another went down during an IAF training exercise in western India on March 12, 2024, marking the first loss of a Tejas fighter aircraft. In that accident, the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft, and miraculously, no one was harmed when it crashed into a student hostel. 
The IAF operates about 30 of the Tejas Mark 1 variant and has another half-dozen trainers. In September, India’s defense ministry announced plans to procure 97 Tejas Mk 1A jets for the air force, including 69 Mk 1A single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainers, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027. This follows a 2021 order for 83 Tejas jets (73 fighters and 10 trainers) that were originally slated for first deliveries in 2024, but delays in procuring U.S.-made GE F404 engines have pushed that timeline out to March 2026.
In service with the IAF since 2015, the Tejas is a single-engine, fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft designed by India’s Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is India’s second domestically produced fighter jet, after the HAL HF-24 Marut. 
Friday’s crash marks the second accident for the Tejas. Another went down during an IAF training exercise in western India on March 12, 2024, marking the first loss of a Tejas fighter aircraft. In that accident, the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft, and miraculously, no one was harmed when it crashed into a student hostel. 
The IAF operates about 30 of the Tejas Mark 1 variant and has another half-dozen trainers. In September, India’s defense ministry announced plans to procure 97 Tejas Mk 1A jets for the air force, including 69 Mk 1A single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainers, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027. This follows a 2021 order for 83 Tejas jets (73 fighters and 10 trainers) that were originally slated for first deliveries in 2024, but delays in procuring U.S.-made GE F404 engines have pushed that timeline out to March 2026.