British F-35B Fighter Jet Grounds in Kerala, Sparks Viral Kerala Tourism Campaign

Thiruvananthapuram: A British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II fighter jet currently grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport has been featured in a recent promotional campaign by Kerala Tourism. The department published an image of the jet on its official social media account, accompanied by the caption: "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend."

The jet made an emergency landing on the night of June 14 after encountering operational difficulties while attempting to return to its carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, stationed in the Arabian Sea. Due to adverse weather conditions and a failed recovery at sea, the pilot was forced to divert. With fuel levels critically low, the aircraft declared an emergency and was guided by Indian Air Force and civil aviation authorities to Thiruvananthapuram, where it landed safely around 9:30 PM.

Following the landing, technical inspections revealed a hydraulic malfunction affecting key control systems. The nature of the fault rendered the fifth-generation stealth aircraft unable to take off, prompting the Royal Navy to initiate further technical support measures. Initial on-site repairs by carrier-based engineers were unsuccessful.

A team of approximately 40 technical specialists, including engineers from the UK Ministry of Defence and Lockheed Martin—the manufacturer of the F-35—was subsequently flown to Kerala. A specially designed tow vehicle was also airlifted to facilitate the secure movement of the aircraft into the airport’s Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hangar, which was completed on June 27.

This is the first time a UK F-35B fighter jet has undergone technical servicing at a civilian airport in India. Owing to the nature of the aircraft’s stealth technology, British authorities have imposed strict access controls, with maintenance operations being carried out exclusively by UK personnel under close security coordination with Indian authorities.

Thiruvananthapuram airport officials have confirmed that standard parking and service charges apply for the aircraft’s extended stay. Diplomatic coordination is underway to determine the billing and logistics associated with the incident.

If repairs prove unfeasible on-site, British defence officials have indicated that the jet may be transported back to the United Kingdom aboard an RAF C-17 Globe-master III transport aircraft.