Kerala: UK team arrives to assess F-35 jet after emergency landing

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (Kerala): A team of around 25 technical experts from the British Royal Air Force is expected to land in Kerala on Sunday aboard an A400M Atlas military transport aircraft to inspect the F-35B fighter jet that made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of June 14, sources said.

The visiting team will assess the condition of the stranded jet to determine whether it can be repaired locally or needs to be dismantled and transported back to the United Kingdom.

Since its unscheduled landing nearly three weeks ago, the presence of the advanced stealth fighter has generated considerable public curiosity and turned into a quirky marketing trend in the state.

The Kerala Tourism Department was the first to share an image of the aircraft on social media, accompanied by a humorous caption, and this was quickly followed by similar posts from Milma (Kerala’s dairy cooperative), the Kerala Police, the State AIDS Control Society, and several private organisations.

The British Royal Navy’s F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, valued at over $110 million, has been grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, India, since June 14, 2025.

The aircraft made an emergency landing due to low fuel and adverse weather conditions while operating from the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific region.

The aircraft is being guarded round the clock by India’s Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and British personnel.

Inclement weather conditions prevented the aircraft from safely landing on the carrier, making the emergency landing at the airport necessary.

“A Royal Navy F-35B fighter recovered off an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of 14 June 25. Operating from a UK Aircraft Carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, it was undertaking routine flying outside Indian ADIZ with Thiruvananthapuram earmarked as the emergency recovery airfield,” the Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a post on X.

The IAF further stated, “On having declared a diversion off an emergency, the F-35 B was detected and identified by the IAF’s IACCS network and cleared for the recovery. IAF is providing all necessary support for the rectification and subsequent return of the aircraft.”

Engineers from HMS Prince of Wales initially assessed the situation and determined that additional technical expertise and equipment from the UK were required. The aircraft will be moved to a maintenance, repair and overhaul hangar at the airport once the specialist equipment and the UK-based engineering team arrive. (ANI)