Latest news with #F-35B
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Jet legged? UK's F-35 fighter jet takes off from Kerala after month-long layover and jaw-dropping charges; sparks online buzz
NEW DELHI: 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 then. The jet took off around 10 a.m. and is now en route to Darwin, Australia. "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," a British High Commission spokesperson said. In the same statement, the spokesperson expressed gratitude for India's cooperation: "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." On Monday, the jet was moved out of the hangar and stationed at the airport bay ahead of its departure. According to sources, a 14-member UK engineering team that carried out the repairs will fly back on Wednesday aboard a special aircraft, the Globemaster. The fighter jet had been housed in the Air India hangar throughout its stay. Airport sources confirmed that landing charges, daily rent, and parking fees, amounting to Rs 5–6 lakh had been paid. However, there was no confirmation on any payment made to Air India specifically. The British Royal Navy's F-35B Lightning is part of the UK's most advanced stealth fighter fleet. Worth over USD 110 million, it is considered one of the world's most sophisticated combat aircraft. The jet had been grounded at the airport since June 14, when it was forced to make an emergency landing after developing a technical snag. Having taken off from HMS Prince of Wales that day, it couldn't return due to poor weather conditions. Prioritizing safety, the aircraft diverted to Thiruvananthapuram, where it landed safely. However, it later developed an engineering issue on the ground, delaying its rejoining of the Carrier Strike Group. Engineers aboard HMS Prince of Wales assessed the situation and concluded that assistance from a UK-based team was necessary. India's offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport was accepted, and the transfer was carried out after the arrival of the specialist team with equipment, ensuring no disruption to airport operations. After nearly a week of work, the UK team repaired a hydraulic fault, successfully completed a trial flight, and cleared the jet for departure. The emergency landing, along with the parking charges, became the subject of countless internet memes and widespread online buzz. Another meme said "UK's F35 finally remembered it's a jet, not a tourist." It even inspired a witty marketing campaign by Kerala Tourism. (With agency inputs)
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
‘Bye, bro': British fighter jet, stranded in India, finally leaves for home
A British F-35B fighter jet was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in the state of Kerala for what proved a lengthy stay. – A British F-35B fighter jet that was stranded at an airport in southern India for more than a month over mechanical issues, becoming a local celebrity in the process, is finally making its way home. British engineers had struggled for weeks to fix the aircraft, which was unable to return to an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea after a flight in mid-June because of bad weather. It was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in the state of Kerala for what proved a lengthy stay. The British High Commission in New Delhi said in a statement that an engineering team deployed to fix the aircraft in early July had managed to repair it, 'allowing the aircraft to resume active service'. The advanced jet, worth more than US$100 million (S$128 million), was on its way to Darwin, Australia, according to an official at the Kerala airport, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the jet. The official said a crew of 14 people worked to repair the jet's hydraulic and auxiliary power systems. The crew was set to be picked up by a Royal Air Force aircraft on July 23 to return to Britain. The jet was under heavy security during its time at the airport, which experts said was necessary to protect its highly sensitive technology. The state-of-the-art plane, made by Lockheed Martin in Texas, is also used by a number of Britain's allies, including the United States. Airport staff members were not allowed to be near the hangar where the jet was being repaired, the airport official said. As the jet sat idle at the airport, it drew attention from amused locals, including the region's tourism department. Indians poked fun at the plane with memes, including a fake travel review of Kerala from the jet and a spoof listing for the plane's sale on a classified site. As news spread of the plane's impending departure, locals were quick to chime in again. On social media, users posted messages like 'Bye, bro' and 'Keep visiting'. One smitten user even made an appeal for the plane to stay, writing: 'Please don't go. We loved you standing on the airport. Feelings had developed.' NYTIMES
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Stranded fighter jet departs after repairs and social media fame
Off air: The stealth fighter was grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala due to technical snags. — AP A British F-35B fighter jet stranded at an Indian airport for more than a month, sparking memes and cartoons on social media, took off after being repaired by a team of UK engineers, an Indian official said. The stealth fighter, one of the world's most advanced and costing around US$115mil, was grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in the southern state of Kerala due to technical snags. The aircraft had hydraulic issues and problems with its auxiliary power unit that have been fixed, said the Thiruvananthapuram official, who wasn't authorised to speak with the media and requested anonymity. 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 on June 14. The stranded military aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, triggered AI-generated memes in India. A Kerala tourism department social media post showed the plane on the tarmac surrounded by coconut trees with a fictitious five-star review: 'Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend.' The top official at the tourism department, K. Biju, said the post was in 'good humour'. 'It was our way to appreciate and thank the Brits who are the biggest inbound visitors to Kerala for tourism,' Biju said. Another cartoon posted on X showed the plane enjoying snacks with a group of locals against a scenic background. There was speculation in India that the aircraft could be partially dismantled and transported in a cargo plane if repairs were unsuccessful. The UK Ministry of Defence dismissed the speculation in a statement. — AP
Time of India
8 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
British F-35B jet departs Thiruvananthapuram after month-long ‘stay'
Thiruvananthapuram : The British F-35B fighter jet, which had sparked countless memes after being grounded at the city airport for more than a month, finally departed on Tuesday morning. The state-of-the-art jet took off around 10am and is en route to Darwin, Australia. In a statement, a British high commission spokesperson said: "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 6, completed the repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service. 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 British Royal Navy F-35B is part of the UK's advanced stealth fleet — one of the most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world, valued at over $110 million. The aircraft, which had taken off from HMS Prince of Wales on June 14, was unable to return to the carrier due to adverse weather conditions. Prioritising safety, it diverted to Thiruvananthapuram airport, where it landed safely. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Plymouth: If You Were Born Between 1940-1975 You Could Be Eligible For This Life Cover Reassured Get Quote Undo While on the ground, the jet developed an engineering fault, delaying its return to the Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Prince of Wales. Engineers from the carrier assessed the situation and it was decided specialist support from a UK-based team was required. The UK accepted India's offer to move the jet to the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport. To avoid disrupting regular operations, the move was carried out after the UK engineering team arrived with specialist equipment. After nearly a week of work, the technical team repaired the aircraft, rectified a hydraulic fault and successfully conducted a trial flight. Following a successful trial flight, the aircraft departed.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
VP Dhankhar Resigns Air India Fire Scare Bihar Voter List Issues
In a significant political move, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned from his post, citing health concerns. His abrupt exit comes amid reports that he encouraged opposition leaders to initiate an impeachment motion against a former Delhi High Court judge—something the government reportedly preferred to handle in the Lok Sabha. The resignation has triggered debate over both timing and motive. Air India has again come under scrutiny after two aircraft incidents in quick succession. On July 22, a flight from Hong Kong to Delhi experienced an auxiliary power unit (APU) fire shortly after landing. All passengers were safe, and emergency systems worked as intended. A day earlier, another Air India flight bound for Kolkata aborted takeoff due to a technical snag. In an unusual development, a British Royal Navy F-35B fighter jet that made an emergency landing in Kerala over a month ago finally took off after two weeks of repair. The Thiruvananthapuram airport charged Rs 5 lakh for parking and landing, and further repair charges will be handled by Air India. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has identified over 52 lakh discrepancies in Bihar's electoral roll, including deceased and duplicate voters. Cleanup efforts are ongoing to ensure fair and accurate future elections. Script & Voiceover: Zeeshan Akhtar Editing: Zeeshan Akhtar
