A British F-35B stealth fighter jet that made an unexpected landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala on June 15 remains on the ground nearly three weeks later. Despite efforts to fix the issue on-site, the jet hasn’t been able to fly again, and the UK is now looking at the rare option of airlifting it back home using a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft.

Why the Jet landed in India

The F-35B—one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter jets in the world—was part of a routine Indo-UK naval exercise in the region. The jet had to divert from its original return path to the HMS Prince of Wales, the UK Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier, due to bad weather.

"A UK F-35 aircraft was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales due to adverse weather conditions. Prioritising safety, the aircraft diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in India, where it landed safely,” the British High Commission said in a statement.

The jet landed safely around 9:30 am, but was reportedly low on fuel at the time, which made the diversion even more urgent.

While the landing was smooth, the aircraft later developed what UK officials described as an "engineering issue" that made it unfit to fly.

"The aircraft has subsequently developed an engineering issue whilst on the ground which precluded its return to the Carrier," the High Commission added.

Sources said that initial checks were done, but the problem couldn’t be fixed right away. Since then, a team of specialised engineers from the UK has arrived in Kerala, carrying high-end equipment to help with diagnosis and repairs.

With on-ground repairs still not working, the UK is now considering airlifting the jet using a military cargo plane—something that's rarely done for this class of fighter aircraft.

Meanwhile, Indian Air Force officials have been helping with logistics. Plans are also in place to move the jet into a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at the airport, so that repair efforts can continue in a more controlled environment.

The day after the emergency landing, a Royal Navy AW101 Merlin helicopter flew into the airport to pick up the pilot, who was then taken back to the aircraft carrier. Since then, the F-35B jet has been kept under constant security watch.

The British High Commission stated that there is no set timeline yet for when the aircraft will be ready to fly, but they are working to make sure that local airport operations aren’t affected.

About the F-35 Fighter

The F-35B is a Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 fighter jet, built by Lockheed Martin. The entire F-35 programme is considered the most expensive military aircraft development in history. So far, the global fleet of F-35s has logged more than 800,000 flight hours.

Countries like Israel have used the aircraft for precision strikes, and the United States regularly deploys F-35s in regions such as the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

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