The final clearance for takeoff will hinge on approvals from multiple Indian authorities, including the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Published Jul 19, 2025 | 2:33 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 19, 2025 | 2:33 PM
The fifth-generation fighter, part of the HMS Prince of Wales carrier group, made an emergency landing at the airport after a couple of days of a joint exercise with the Indian Navy, after it ran out of fuel and faced an "engineering issue" midair in inclement weather conditions on 14 July.
Synopsis: A small team of engineers from the Prince of Wales earlier failed to fix the problem, prompting the UK to fly in a larger technical team to repair the aircraft. The team has now reportedly resolved the glitches that led to the emergency, clearing the F-35B aircraft for its return leg.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy’s F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet is set to fly back after being stranded at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala for over a month.
Its return flight has tentatively been fixed for 21 or 22 July, pending necessary clearances.
The fifth-generation fighter, part of the HMS Prince of Wales carrier group, made an emergency landing at the airport after a couple of days of a joint exercise with the Indian Navy, after it ran out of fuel and faced an “engineering issue” midair in inclement weather conditions on 14 July.
The grounded jet set meme factories into a gleeful overdrive with the Kerala Tourism Department taking the lead.
The US-based Lockheed Martin-made $110 million fighter with short takeoff and vertical landing capability made headlines across the world as it remained grounded, and sent meme factories into a gleeful overdrive.
A small team of engineers from the Prince of Wales earlier failed to fix the problem, prompting the UK to fly in a larger technical team to repair the aircraft. The team has now reportedly resolved the glitches that led to the emergency, clearing the F-35B aircraft for its return leg.
Braving the Kerala monsoon, the jet sat on the tarmac for 22 days until the technical team arrived in the state capital on a Royal Air Force’s A400M Atlas military transport aircraft on 6 July. It was then taken into a hangar.
However, officials clarified that final clearance for takeoff will hinge on approvals from multiple Indian authorities, including the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Adding a bureaucratic twist to the high-tech drama, UK authorities will also have to settle the parking and facility charges levied by the airport for the prolonged stay—covering use of tarmac space, security, and the hangar.
If all goes according to plan, the skies over Thiruvananthapuram may once again echo with the roar of one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets next week—this time, a planned flight.
