Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 22 (HBTV): British Navy's F-35 fighter jet finally took off from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Tuesday after being grounded for over a month due to a fault in its hydraulic system.

The fighter jet had made an emergency landing at the airport on June 14. The aircraft, part of the UK Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, was on a routine sortie when it developed a technical snag and was unable to return to the ship. Thiruvananthapuram airport, designated as an emergency recovery airfield, granted permission for an emergency landing.

The Indian Air Force provided all necessary support, including refuelling and coordination. A technical team from the UK Royal Air Force later arrived to repair the fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. Initially parked at the Bay in the airport, the F-35B was eventually moved to the Air India hangar, where UK technicians carried out the required repairs.

F-35Bs, developed by Lockheed Martin, are advanced stealth jets known for their short take-off and vertical landing capabilities.

Images of the lone F-35B parked on the tarmac during Kerala's monsoon rains went viral on social media and sparked a series of memes. The Kerala Tourism Department was the first to post an image on platform X with the caption, ‘Kerala, the destination you'll never want to leave.’ Several others, including Milma (Kerala’s dairy cooperative), the Kerala Police, the State AIDS Control Society, and private organisations, followed with humorous posts referencing the grounded jet.

(ANI)