Tejas fleet to fly again today after grounding in February

New Delhi: In good news for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the indigenously developed LCA Tejas fleet is likely to resume flight operations on Wednesday after being grounded for nearly two months. In early February, a Tejas aircraft encountered problems during landing, causing the fleet to be grounded.Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) CMD DK Sunil recently said that all 36 Tejas fighter jets are likely to resume flying from April 8 after resolving software-related issues found on the aircraft. “There is a technical issue that has been discussed and the committee is looking at it. The Local Modifications Committee (LMC) discussed it. The good news is that the Tejas Fighter (LMC) is complete. Therefore, we expect the fleet to start flying on Wednesday.“Shortly after the incident in February, HAL said it was “not a crash” but a “minor technical incident on the ground”.Amid the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and repeated threats from Pakistan in the wake of Operation Sindoor, it is important for India to maintain the combat readiness of its Tejas squadrons. The Indian Air Force is already facing a shortage of squadrons, with the number of squadrons reduced to 29, out of the 42 squadrons required to fight Pakistan and China on two fronts.The February accident was the third accident involving a Tejas fighter since it entered service in 2016. The fighter jet suffered its first accident near Jaisalmer in March 2024, when a plane crashed while returning from a firepower demonstration. The pilot successfully ejected. The second crash occurred during an aerobatic display at the Dubai Air Show in November 2025. The tragic accident resulted in the death of the pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Namansh Syal.