The British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning fighter jet
Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: The UK F-35B aircraft, which remained grounded in Thiruvananthapuram since June 14 following a technical snag, flew back on Tuesday.
According to a British High Commission spokesperson, the UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion, departed on Tuesday 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 statement said.
The aircraft that was operating from HMS Prince of Wales of the UK Royal Navy was unable to return due to adverse weather conditions. Subsequently the aircraft developed a technical snag and an engineering team came down from the UK to repair the F-35B aircraft which is considered as the most lethal and survivable fighter aircraft in the world.
The technical snag suffered by the fighter grabbed wider attention. It was also widely trolled in the social media and Kerala Tourism and several government and private agencies used it for promotional purposes also.