British F-35B, Grounded In Kerala For Nearly A Month, Likely To Return Home Next Week

A British F-35B stealth fighter, diverted to India's Thiruvananthapuram airport in June due to bad weather and low fuel, is expected to return to the UK next week.

British engineers are repairing the grounded jet, moved to a maintenance hangar, with support from Indian authorities.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

A British Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet that made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala is finally expected to return to the United Kingdom next week, according to Indian officials cited by the Associated Press. The fifth-generation jet, considered one of the world’s most advanced and expensive military aircraft with a price tag exceeding USD 115 million, was diverted from the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales on June 14 due to bad weather and low fuel while conducting routine maritime exercises over the Arabian Sea.

Since then, the aircraft has remained grounded on Indian soil, drawing significant attention due to its rare civilian airport appearance. British defence officials confirmed that a team of engineers has arrived in India and begun repair work after moving the jet to a designated maintenance hangar at the airport.

“A team of UK engineers has arrived in India to commence repairs on the UK F-35B aircraft. Repairs are underway on the aircraft, which has now been moved to the maintenance hangar. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities,” stated UK Defence in India.

UPDATE: A team of UK engineers has arrived in India to commence repairs on the UK F35B aircraft. Repairs are underway on the aircraft, which has now been moved to the maintenance hangar. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities. 🇬🇧🤝🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WD0pmkiLNH

— UK Defence in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKDefenceIndia) July 7, 2025

 

The Royal Air Force also deployed an Airbus A400M Atlas to transport technical experts to Kerala, who are now overseeing the jet’s recovery and readiness for return. The massive military cargo aircraft departed after dropping the team leaving engineers to carry out detailed inspections and repairs.