‘Isolated occurrence’: HAL says Dubai Tejas crash won’t affect operations or delivery schedules

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturer of the Tejas fighter jet that crashed during an air show at the Dubai Air Show, said on Monday that the incident was an “isolated event arising out of exceptional circumstances” and would not have any impact on future deliveries.

The manufacturer said in a statement: “We would like to confirm that there is no impact on the company’s business operations, financial performance or future deliveries,” noting that it is fully cooperating with the investigating agencies and will inform stakeholders of any material developments.

An Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday in a ball of fire during a parade at Al Maktoum International Airport, killing the pilot. The light combat aircraft was performing a low-altitude maneuver when its altitude suddenly dropped and its nose plunged. Photos show the aircraft bursting into flames seconds after impact.

The accident cast a shadow over the final day of the biennial air show, as spectators watched details of the accident from the stands behind the fenced airstrip.

The Israeli Air Force said in a brief statement published on the X website that the pilot was fatally injured. “The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved family at this time of grief. A court of inquiry is now being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” it said.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also posted that he was deeply saddened by the death of a “brave and courageous pilot of the Indian Air Force”. Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chouhan and all ranks of the armed forces issued a similar message.

This accident marks the second Tejas accident in 20 months. In March 2024, a plane crashed near a residential colony in Jaisalmer after the tri-service exercise ‘Bharat Shakti’, though the pilot got out safely. The Tejas fleet had previously come under scrutiny in 2020 after a technical issue occurred during a sortie, but it has since expanded its operational profile within the Indian Air Force.

Eyewitnesses in Dubai described the scene as shocking. “It was a great show until this tragic accident happened… From the way the flight turned before it went down, I strongly feel that the pilot tried to save the spectators,” Indian expat Shajodeen Jabbar told Gulf News.

The Tejas platform, developed over decades and inducted into the IAF in 2016, is now the mainstay of two operational squadrons. India placed orders for 83 Tejas MK-1A aircraft under a Rs 48,000-crore contract signed in 2021, and in November 2023 the Defense Ministry approved the purchase of an additional 97 aircraft.