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

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturer of the Tejas fighter jet that crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show, said on Monday that the accident was an "isolated occurrence arising out of exceptional circumstances" and would have no impact on future deliveries.

"We would like to assure that there is no impact on the Company's business operations, financial performance or its future deliveries," the manufacturer said in a statement, noting that it was extending full cooperation to investigating agencies and would update stakeholders on any material developments.

On Friday, a Tejas fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in a ball of fire during a demonstration at Al Maktoum International Airport, killing the pilot. The Light Combat Aircraft was performing a low-altitude manoeuvre when it abruptly dropped height and nosedived, with visuals showing the jet engulfed in flames seconds after impact. 

The accident cast a pall over the final day of the biennial air show, where spectators watched the crash unfold from grandstands behind the fenced airstrip.

The IAF said in a brief statement posted on X that the pilot sustained fatal injuries. "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," it said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also posted that he was deeply anguished at the death of a "brave and courageous IAF pilot." Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan and all ranks of the armed forces issued a similar message.

The crash marks the second Tejas accident in 20 months. In March 2024, an aircraft crashed near a residential colony in Jaisalmer following the tri-services exercise 'Bharat Shakti', though the pilot had ejected safely. The Tejas fleet had previously drawn scrutiny in 2020 after a technical snag during a sortie but has since expanded its operational profile within the IAF.

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

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