British F-35 Fighter Jet Becomes Star of Kerala Tourism After Emergency Landing
British F-35 jet grounded in Kerala after emergency landing becomes star of Kerala Tourism; repairs underway with UK, IAF support.
image for illustrative purpose
A British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, which made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14 due to bad weather, has now found itself featured in a quirky Kerala Tourism campaign.
Kerala Tourism took to X (formerly Twitter) with a playful jab, posting: "Kerala, the destination you will never want to leave. Thank you, The Fauxy." The post included a spoof "review" supposedly from the UK jet itself, stating: "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend."
The $110 Million Jet's Extended Stay
The fifth-generation supersonic stealth fighter, valued at over $110 million and developed by Lockheed Martin, was part of the UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group. It was conducting joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy when it was diverted to Kerala. The plan was for a quick refuel and takeoff, but the jet developed an engineering issue on the ground and has been stationed at Bay No. 4 of the airport ever since.
Initially, the British Navy reportedly declined an offer from Air India to park the jet in a hangar, citing concerns about exposing its protected technologies. However, two weeks later, the UK government agreed to move the aircraft to the airport's Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility.
The Indian Air Force has been providing logistical support for the jet's "rectification and subsequent return." All details regarding the repair, maintenance timeline, and communications between Indian and British authorities remain confidential.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the British High Commission confirmed the aircraft will be moved to the airport hangar once engineering teams from the UK arrive with specialist equipment. Sources close to the UK government indicate the aircraft will return to active service after necessary repairs and safety checks.
Interestingly, flight tracking data related to the emergency landing has since been removed from public platforms.
