A Royal Navy F-35B fighter jet from the U.K. that made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Friday night following a technical snag remained grounded at the airport on Monday.
The reason for emergency landing was initially attributed to low fuel as the fighter could not land on the U.K. aircraft carrier deployed at the sea after its routine sortie due to bad weather conditions in the Arabian Sea. However, according to sources, the jet had developed technical glitch.
The aircraft has been parked at an isolated bay near the domestic terminal since Friday night. The pilot of the jet, who is being replaced by the Royal Navy as his duty time ends, was reportedly reluctant to stay away from the aircraft. The airport authorities then arranged a facility for him at the airside of the airport from where he could watch the aircraft throughout the day.
A four-member crew deployed by the Royal Navy has been attending to the fifth-generation stealth fighter, which is known for short take-off and vertical landing capabilities. In a post on X on Sunday night, the Indian Air Force said “the Royal Navy F-35B fighter recovered off an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of 14 June”.
