Stranded British F-35B Fighter Jet Finally Departs Thiruvananthapuram After Five Weeks

Thiruvananthapuram: After being grounded for over five weeks, the British Royal Navy’s state-of-the-art F-35B Lightning II fighter jet finally took off from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at 10:50 a.m. on Tuesday. The aircraft is now en route to its next destination in Australia, according to sources.

The fifth-generation stealth jet, known for its short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, had made an emergency landing in Kerala on June 14 due to a hydraulic system malfunction. At the time, the jet was returning from joint Indo-Pacific maritime exercises with the Indian Navy and was part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group.

Following the emergency landing, an initial engineering team attempted repairs but was unable to fix the problem. Subsequently, a specialized team of aviation experts from the UK and the US—comprising personnel from the British Royal Navy and aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin—was flown in earlier this month to resolve the issue.

The aircraft was initially parked in the open before being moved into a hangar for repairs. The engineering team secured the area and, within a week, managed to get the jet’s engine running again. It was cleared for flight by the end of last week.

On Monday, the jet was moved to the tarmac, and final checks were completed Tuesday morning before takeoff.

The team of engineers who worked on the jet is also expected to leave Kerala later in the day on the same special aircraft that brought them.

Since the emergency landing, the jet became a hot topic on social media, sparking a wave of memes and jokes. Even Kerala Tourism joined in the fun, posting a tongue-in-cheek message on X:
“Kerala, the destination you will never want to leave. Thank you, The Fauxy.”
The post featured a spoof review from the jet: “Kerala is such an amazing place, I don’t want to leave. Definitely recommend.”

Now that the fighter has finally departed, social media is once again abuzz with reactions to the unusual episode.

With inputs from IANS