Stranded British F-35 Jet Moved After 22 Days at Thiruvananthapuram Airport

After being grounded for 22 days, the British F-35 fighter jet that made an emergency landing in Kerala last month was finally moved out of Thiruvananthapuram airport on Sunday.

A technical team from the British Royal Air Force arrived aboard an Airbus A400M Atlas to assess the jet, according to news agency ANI. A video shared by ANI showed the F-35 being carefully towed from its parking spot to a hangar.

The F-35B, part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, had been operating about 100 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala when it was forced to divert to land due to bad weather and low fuel on June 14. The Indian Air Force facilitated the emergency landing and provided refuelling and logistical support.

However, when the jet was being readied for departure back to the carrier, a hydraulic system fault was discovered during pre-flight checks—a serious issue that could compromise its ability to take off or land safely.

An initial attempt to fix the issue by a small Royal Navy team, including three technicians, was unsuccessful due to the complexity of the malfunction.

The jet remained parked at Bay 4 of the airport, under CISF security. Initially, the British Navy had declined an offer from Air India to move the aircraft into a hangar, even as monsoon rains lashed the region. They later reversed the decision and agreed to shelter the jet.

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