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Tejas crash ‘Isolated occurrence,’ won’t affect business operations: HAL
Plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Monday informed Indian stock exchanges that the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) crash at the Dubai Airshow on November 21 was “an isolated occurrence”
Plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Monday informed Indian stock exchanges that the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) crash at the Dubai Airshow on November 21 was “an isolated occurrence arising out of exceptional circumstances”.
It reported to BSE Ltd and the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd that the incident will not affect the company’s business operations or its 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 Company is extending its full support and cooperation to the agencies conducting the investigation. The Company will continue to keep the stakeholders informed of any material development,” HAL said in a clarification.
The pilot, wing commander Namansh Syal, was killed in the crash, the second involving the India-built single-engine fighter jet since it was inducted by the Indian Air Force in July 2016. His last rites were performed on Sunday at his native village of Patialkar in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra.He was performing low-level aerobatic manoeuvres when the Tejas crashed on the concluding day of the five-day air show. The IAF has ordered an inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The development came at a time the IAF is looking to induct an advanced variant of the plane, the LCA Mk-1A.
Earlier, a Tejas fighter jet had crashed near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on March 12, 2024, minutes after taking part in a tri-services exercise that sought to demonstrate the strides India has made towards self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector. The pilot ejected safely at the time.
The two aircraft that crashed were part of the IAF’s Mk-1 fleet in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations—the first variants of LCA. The air force currently operates two Mk-1 squadrons (a squadron has 16 to 18 planes).
The IAF has so far placed two separate orders for a total of 180 Mk-1As (the latest LCA variant) with a combined value of ₹1.1 lakh crore to shore up its fighter fleet. The first contract for 83 jets was inked in February 2021, followed by a second one for 97 fighters in September 2025.
To be sure, none of the fighters ordered four years back has been delivered yet. The IAF could get the delivery of the first of the 83 jets ordered in the coming months, and the contract is likely to be executed over the next four to five years. The delivery under the second contract for 97 aircraft is expected to begin in 2027-28 and be wrapped up over six years.
