A British F-35B stealth fighter that was grounded for over five weeks in southern India due to mechanical failures has resumed its journey after repairs by U.K. engineers, officials said Tuesday.
“A UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion on 14 June, departed today from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport,” said a British High Commission spokesperson. “A U.K. engineering team, deployed since 6 July, completed the repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service.”
The jet was en route from the U.K. to Australia on June 14 when it encountered a technical issue, prompting a detour to Kerala. With fuel running low and weather conditions worsening, the pilot requested an emergency landing at the nearest airport.
The Indian Air Force assisted by facilitating the landing in Thiruvananthapuram and providing logistical support.
The prolonged grounding quickly drew attention and sparked a wave of memes on Indian social media. Kerala Tourism joined in by sharing an AI-generated image of the stealth aircraft surrounded by coconut trees, captioned “Kerala, the destination you’ll never want to leave.”
Kerala, the destination you’ll never want to leave.
Thank you, The Fauxy.#F35 #Trivandrum #KeralaTourism pic.twitter.com/3lei66a5T2
— Kerala Tourism (@KeralaTourism) July 2, 2025
During its 35-day stay, the jet incurred over ₹900,000 ($10,800) in parking and landing fees, The Economic Times reported. British officials had considered extracting the jet using a C-17 Globemaster if repairs failed.
The F-35B, built by Lockheed Martin, is a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant used by the U.K. Royal Navy aboard HMS Prince of Wales, currently operating in the Indo-Pacific.
The aircraft is now headed to Darwin, Australia, where the carrier has been conducting joint drills with the Indian Navy.
