The British Royal Navy’s F-35B fighter jet, which has been grounded in Kerala for the past five weeks, will finally take off on Tuesday. The aircraft has been parked at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport since June 14 due to a technical problem.
On June 14, the F-35B was flying from the United Kingdom to Australia when it developed a hydraulic system failure. The pilot, who was also running low on fuel and facing bad weather, had to make an emergency landing. The closest appropriate airport was located in Kerala's Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). By intervening, the Indian Air Force (IAF) made it possible for the plane to land safely and provided assistance following the touchdown.
There have been continuous attempts to resolve the issue and return the jet to the air since the emergency landing. The UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group includes the F-35B, a contemporary, fifth-generation stealth fighter plane. This group is currently operating in the Indo-Pacific region and recently took part in joint naval exercises with the Indian Navy.
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On July 6, the aircraft was moved into a hangar so that repair work could begin. A team of 24 experts from the UK was sent to Kerala for the job. This team included 14 technical specialists from the British Royal Air Force and 10 other crew members. The main issue, a fault in the hydraulic system, has now been completely fixed. After a thorough check, the aircraft has received final clearance to fly. The jet is now ready to leave Kerala and continue its journey on Tuesday.
Initially, the British Royal Navy declined an offer from Air India to shift the aircraft into a hangar, even as Kerala’s monsoon poured steadily outside. But as the rains persisted, common sense prevailed, and the fighter jet was finally moved indoors for better protection.
Meanwhile, what could have been a dry, bureaucratic standoff turned into a social media spectacle. The F-35B unintentionally became a local celebrity. Internet users had a field day, assigning it an “Aadhaar card,” stitching it into Bollywood memes, and adding dubbed dialogue edits. Even Kerala Tourism jumped in with a playful post, welcoming the high-tech visitor with tongue-in-cheek humour.
Now, with a fresh team of British technical experts arriving and the jet finally moved to a hangar, things are inching toward resolution. What started as a mid-air emergency has become one of the most unusual—and talked-about—jet layovers in recent memory.
Also Read: UK F-35 memes soar as jet stays grounded in Kerala
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