Internet users have turned the event into a meme festival.
A British Royal Navy F-35 fighter jet, stuck at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport for about 20 days, is set to return to the UK. Before its departure, the jet had become a meme sensation, with internet users creating humorous content. The memes and jokes started circulating on June 14, but a new wave of humour emerged with news of its planned return. Internet users have turned the event into a meme festival, with pranks like listing the F-35 for sale on OLX and creating fake Aadhar cards for the jet.
One user wrote, "F-35B Nair got its PAN card. Now it's time to link it with Aadhaar as per Govt. rules." Another commented, "If that F-35 plane was parked in Gurgaon for this long, someone would have opened a restaurant inside it."
See the memes here:
Kerala's tourism department also shared an AI-generated image depicting the stealth aircraft surrounded by coconut trees on the tarmac. The viral social media post features the jet awarding Kerala five golden stars and declaring it "an amazing place."
British F-35 fighter jet
The F-35B, a state-of-the-art stealth fighter jet, made an emergency landing in Trivandrum on June 14 due to a mechanical issue. The F-35B, a fifth-generation stealth fighter renowned for its advanced technology and versatility, was en route from the UK to Australia when it encountered a hydraulic failure. The pilot, facing low fuel levels and adverse weather conditions, opted for an emergency landing at the nearest suitable airport, which happened to be in Kerala. The Indian Air Force facilitated the landing, providing refuelling and logistical support, but the hydraulic issue grounded the aircraft, leaving it stranded on the tarmac.
As of July 6, the F-35 remains grounded at Thiruvananthapuram Airport, with British engineers and a special tow vehicle en route to repair the hydraulic snag. The incident has extended into its third week, with multiple attempts to fix the jet proving unsuccessful.
