Grounded since June, British F-35B fighter jet finally leaves Kerala after repairs

A British F-35B fighter jet that had made an emergency landing at the international airport here over a month ago flew back on Tuesday after undergoing maintenance, according to airport sources who spoke to PTI.

The aircraft, part of the British Royal Navy’s F-35B Lightning fleet, considered the UK’s most advanced stealth fighters, took off at 10:50 am and headed to Darwin, Australia, they said.

The jet was moved out of the hangar and positioned at the airport bay on Monday.


Regarded as one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets and valued at over USD 110 million, the aircraft had been grounded at the airport since June 14 due to a technical fault.