UK engineering team departs after F-35B jet resumes service
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 23 (PTI) A 17-member UK engineering team, deployed here since July 6 to carry out repairs and safety checks on the F-35B fighter jet, returned on Wednesday night, a day after the aircraft resumed active service.
A source said the UK Air Force personnel had returned after expressing gratitude to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport for providing full assistance — from the emergency landing of the British F-35B aircraft to its departure once the issues were resolved.
A UK Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant personally visited and thanked the airport authorities.
He also presented a memento from the Royal Air Force, the source said.
The 17-member team departed at around 9.30 pm in a Royal Air Force A400 aircraft, the source added.
The British F-35B fighter jet flew back on Tuesday after completing maintenance — more than a month after it made an emergency landing at the international airport here and remained parked since.
The jet, which took off at 10.50 am on Tuesday, flew to Darwin, Australia. PTI TGB ROH
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
EducationUSA to organise eight Study in the US fairs across India in Aug
Last Updated: Bengaluru, Aug 4 (PTI) EducationUSA, the US government's official source of information on US higher education, will host a series of eight 'Study in the US' education fairs across India, beginning in Chennai on August 9 and concluding in Pune on August 17. More than 50 accredited US universities will participate in this nationwide series, offering students and parents a unique opportunity to meet official representatives from American institutions, said a press release issued by the US Consulate General, Chennai, on Monday. The fairs are free and open to the public, but registration is required, it added. The fairs will feature expert-led sessions covering academic programmes, application processes, scholarships, eligibility, and campus life in the United States. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
76 Killed, Dozens Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Near Yemen In Bad Weather
Last Updated: This tragedy is the latest in a series of shipwrecks off Yemen, which have killed hundreds of African migrants fleeing conflict and poverty and reaching Gulf countries. At least 76 people were killed in one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks near Yemen after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank in the Gulf of Aden in bad weather, according to officials. Security officials said 32 people had been rescued and dozens remained missing, with their fates unknown. Abdusattor Esoev, the UN International Organisation for Migration's (IOM) chief of mission for Yemen, told AFP that the ship was headed to Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, a frequent destination for boats smuggling African migrants hoping to reach the wealthy Gulf states. The UN migration agency said there were 157 people, of whom 76 had died and 32 had been rescued. Some of those rescued have been transferred to Yemen's Aden, near Abyan, a security official said. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's secretary of state, said the Pope was 'deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life". Despite the civil war that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, the impoverished country has remained a key transit point for irregular migration, in particular from Ethiopia, which itself has been roiled by ethnic conflict. 'This route is predominantly controlled by smugglers and human-trafficking networks… Refugees and migrants have no other alternative but to hire their services," Ayla Bonfiglio, of the Mixed Migration Centre research and policy organisation, told AFP. 'Migrants are well aware of the risks, but with no legal pathways and families relying on remittances from Saudi Arabia or the Emirates, many feel they have no choice," she added. Last month, at least eight people died after smugglers forced 150 migrants off a boat in the Red Sea, according to the IOM. The vessel that sank off Abyan was carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants, according to the province's security directorate and an IOM source. On their way to the Gulf, migrants cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Red Sea that is a major route for international trade, as well as for migration and human trafficking. Upon reaching Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, migrants frequently encounter additional threats to their safety, as tens and thousands become stranded there and suffer abuse and exploitation. (with AFP inputs) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Delhi zoo welcomes six Bengal Tiger cubs, largest litter in 20 years
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) The Delhi Zoo on Monday celebrated the birth of six Bengal Tiger cubs — the biggest litter recorded at the facility in the last two decades. In a success for conservation breeding, the cubs were born between 9 AM and 11 AM to a seven-year-old tigress, Aditi, who was brought to the zoo from the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur. This is her first litter, officials said. Delhi Zoo Director Sanjeet Kumar said the mother and cubs are being closely monitored through CCTV surveillance as the first 48 hours are critical for the newborns. 'The tigress is of wild origin and is taking care of the cubs. We are observing her round-the-clock," he said. Prior to this litter, the zoo housed six white tigers and seven Royal Bengal tigers. A similar birth was recorded in 2023 when tigress Siddhi, also from Gorewada, gave birth to five cubs — the first successful Royal Bengal tiger birth at the zoo in nearly 18 years. However, only two cubs survived. In 2005, a six-cub litter was also born, but only two survived. Veterinary officer Abhijit Bhawal said the zoo had been trying to breed Aditi since 2023. Initial mating attempts with tigers Karan and Hari were unsuccessful. It was only after pairing her with white tiger Vijay — the father of previous cubs Avni and Vyom — that the pregnancy occurred. The confirmation came on May 26 from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). 'The cubs are in the cell with their mother. Five of them appear to be doing well. We're keeping a close watch," Bhawal said. White tiger Vijay, who sired the litter, also fathered cubs in 2022. White tigers lack the orange pigment pheomelanin but are considered the same species as Royal Bengal tigers. 'They are technically Royal Bengal tigers, just with different colouring," Kumar explained. The last white tiger birth at Delhi Zoo took place in 2022 when tigress Sita delivered three cubs, of which two survived. Another five-cub litter was recorded in 2015. The Delhi Zoo, which opened in 1959, is part of the Central Zoo Authority's conservation breeding programme for endangered species under the National Zoo Policy, and has been designated for tiger conservation since 2010. PTI NSM RT RT (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 04, 2025, 21:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
