"UAE expresses solidarity with India, conveys condolences over plane crash during Airshow in Dubai": MEA

Responding to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs' ( MoFA) statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X, "Thank you for your solidarity @mofauae. We appreciate the sentiments of the Government and people of UAE."

The UAE MoFA had earlier issued a statement, "UAE Expresses Solidarity with India and Conveys Condolences over Plane Crash during Airshow in Dubai," noting that the incident resulted in the death of an Indian Air Force pilot after an aircraft participating in the event crashed.

According to the statement, "The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity with the Republic of India and its sincere condolences over the tragic incident today (Friday), which resulted in the death of an Indian Air Force pilot following the crash of an aircraft participating in an airshow in Dubai."

The MEA further stated that the UAE "conveyed its heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the family of the pilot, as well as to the Government and people of India, over this tragic incident." The UAE's message came as India mourned the loss of Wing Commander Namansh Syal.

The Tejas aircraft of the IAF crashed at the Dubai Air Show 2025 on Friday, resulting in the death of the Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Namansh Syal. The last rites of Wing Commander were performed on Sunday at his native village, Patialkar, in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) had earlier confirmed that the pilot lost his life after the aircraft went down and caught fire during a low-level aerobatic display at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai on Friday.

The Tejas Mark-1 aircraft had been executing an eight-minute aerobatic routine when it failed to recover from a low-altitude "negative G-turn," resulting in a fatal descent and explosion in front of spectators.

Footage from the Dubai Air Show showed the aircraft hitting the ground and sending up thick black smoke. Emergency crews rushed to the site, but Wing Commander Syal was unable to eject and sustained fatal injuries.

This was the second crash involving the Tejas light combat aircraft since it joined the IAF fleet 10 years ago. The previous incident near Jaisalmer in March last year saw the pilot eject safely. (ANI)