British F-35 Fighter Jet Set to Fly Again After Emergency Landing in Kerala

TDT | Manama

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After being grounded for over a month, the British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet that made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is finally ready to take off on Tuesday, July 23, 2025.

The advanced stealth aircraft was forced to land on June 14 due to a technical fault. Since then, it has undergone careful inspection and repair work on the ground.

A team of 14 expert aviation engineers from the United States and the United Kingdom — including members of the British Royal Navy and engineers from Lockheed Martin — arrived earlier this month to fix the issue. The problem was traced to a fault in the jet’s hydraulic system. An earlier attempt at repairs had failed, prompting the arrival of the specialist team.

Following successful repairs and a series of safety checks, British defence officials cleared the jet for flight.

The F-35B, a cutting-edge fifth-generation stealth fighter capable of short take-offs and vertical landings, is part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group. The jet was returning from joint exercises with the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific region when the emergency landing occurred in Kerala.

Officials have not disclosed where the jet is heading next, but it is expected to either rejoin the British naval fleet or return to the UK.