‘Destination you'll never want to leave’: Kerala uses stranded British F-35 stealth fighter to promote tourism
An F-35 B fighter jet of the British Royal Navy has been stranded in Kerala for over 16 days, leading the tourism department to make a playful remark about the state's charm.
As the British Royal Navy's F-35 B fighter jet remains stranded in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala Tourism Department has made a light-hearted remark, highlighting the state's appeal as a place visitors don't want to depart from. The British stealth fighter made an emergency landing at Thiruvanathapuram airport on June 14 after reporting low fuel levels. The bad weather at the time prevented the jet from returning to the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which was 100 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. The aircraft subsequently developed a hydraulic failure that prevented it from taking off.
In a post on the social media platform X, Kerala Tourism Department shared a post with the caption, “Kerala, the destination you'll never want to leave. Thank you, The Fauxy.”
The post further mentioned a review by the UK F-35 B, which read, “Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend.”
Social media users react
Several social media users took a funny jibe at Kerala Tourism's post. One of the users wrote, “Now it refuses to start without Coconut oil.”
Another user added, “Give it Parotta and Thattukada fried chicken, it will never go back.”
One of the users asked, “F-35 how much is the ticket for one way trip?”
“Right from the Portuguese to date. The legacy continues,” added another.
UK F-35B jet grounded in Kerala
UK F-35B jet, valued at over USD 110 million and recognised as one of the most advanced fighters in the world, made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14.
On June 27, PTI reported that UK aviation engineers are arriving in Thiruvananthapuram to repair the Royal Navy F-35B Lightning jet.
"The aircraft will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, thereby ensuring there is minimal disruption to scheduled maintenance of other aircraft," a British high commission spokesperson told PTI.
The spokesperson informed that the aircraft will resume active service after repairs and safety checks are finished and said, “Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed. We thank the Indian authorities and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport for their continued support."
F-35: Designed to operate from short runways, aircraft carriers
Also called the 'Lightning' in British service, the F-35 model is the fighter jet's STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing) version, designed to operate from short runways and aircraft carriers.