Grounded British fighter jet F-35 B flies back from Kerala after 5 weeks

The British Royal Navy F-35B fighter jet was grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

The British fighter jet F-35 B, which was grounded for over 5 weeks in Kerala, finally flew back after completing maintenance, news agency PTI said quoting Thiruvananthapuram airport sources.

The jet, which took off at 10.50 am, flew to Darwin in Australia. The British Royal Navy F-35 B Lightning fighter jet is part of the UK's most advanced stealth fleet.

The fighter jet was grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport following an emergency landing on June 14 due to a suspected hydraulic issue. It was brought out of the hangar and kept at that airport bay on Monday.

British High Commission spokesperson confirmed that the repairs and safety checks were completed by a team of UK engineers. "A UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion on June 14, departed today from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. A UK engineering team, deployed since July 06 completed the repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service," it said.

#WATCH | Kerala: The British Navy's F-35 fighter aircraft, which made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14, takes off from the airport. pic.twitter.com/RT9vlsL73W

— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2025

Thanking the Indian authorities for the support throughout the recovery process, the spokesperson said UK looks forwards to strengthening defence ties with India.

The UK remains very grateful for the support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams throughout the repair and recovery process. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our defence partnership with India.”

The aircraft had hydraulic issues and problems with its auxiliary power unit that have been fixed, Associated Press said quoting the Thiruvananthapuram official, who wasn't authorized to speak with the media and requested anonymity.

The most expensive fighter jet in the world, priced at $110 million, is known for several advanced stealth features. The jet was on a regular sortie in the Arabian Sea in June when it ran into bad weather and couldn’t return to the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales. The aircraft diverted to Thiruvananthapuram and landed safely June 14.

The fifth-generation stealth fighter is part of the UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, which was operating in the Indo-Pacific and had recently finished joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy.