Grounded For Days, British F-35 Fighter Jet Gets Kerala's "Thank You" Note

The British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, which made an emergency landing on June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport due to adverse weather conditions, has now become a part of a Kerala Tourism campaign.

In a post on X, Kerala Tourism shared a message: "Kerala, the destination you will never want to leave. Thank you, The Fauxy."

The post featured a spoof "review" attributed to the UK jet, "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend."

The fifth-generation supersonic stealth fighter, valued at over $110 million and developed by Lockheed Martin, was participating in joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy as part of the UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group when it was diverted to Kerala. The aircraft was expected to take off after refuelling, but developed an engineering issue on the ground. Since then, it has remained stationed at Bay No. 4 of the airport.

Initially, sources told NDTV the British Navy declined an offer from Air India to park the jet in a hangar due to concerns about exposing the jet's protected technologies. Two weeks later, the UK government agreed to move the jet to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport.

The Indian Air Force has been assisting with logistical support for the "rectification and subsequent return" of the aircraft. All details regarding the repair, maintenance timeline, and communications between Indian and British authorities are being kept confidential.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the British High Commission said the aircraft will be shifted to the airport hangar once engineering teams from the UK arrive with specialist equipment. Sources close to the UK government have said that the aircraft will return to active service after necessary repairs and safety checks.

Flight tracking data related to the emergency landing has since been removed from public platforms.