Overview
- The HAL Tejas of the Indian Air Force went down around 14:10 local time at Al Maktoum International Airport on the show’s final day in front of hundreds of spectators.
- The Indian Air Force announced a court of inquiry and Emirati authorities are examining the crash site, with no cause determined so far.
- Eyewitness videos show the jet losing control in a steep descent before impact, triggering a fireball and a dense column of black smoke.
- Dubai emergency crews responded quickly and flight displays resumed roughly an hour to 90 minutes later, according to the Dubai Media Office.
- Tejas, built by state-owned HAL, is central to India’s fleet modernization with 97 aircraft ordered in September on top of 83 from 2021, though deliveries have slipped largely due to engine shortages; Indian officials recently labeled social-media claims of an oil leak as false.