US EditionStranded UK F-35 Jet Becomes Unexpected Star in Indian Tourism Campaign
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KERALA, INDIA, JUL 01 – The $110 million British stealth fighter has been grounded since June 14 due to a hydraulic failure and adverse weather, with repair efforts ongoing at a Kerala airport hangar.
- On June 14, 2025, a British F-35B fighter jet was forced to land unexpectedly at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in Kerala, India, where it remains grounded following a hydraulic malfunction.
- The jet was forced to divert due to a technical issue while flying over the Indian Ocean during Operation Highmast, a significant British naval mission in the Indo-Pacific designed to strengthen partnerships and address growing regional challenges.
- Repairs have stalled despite a 40-member UK engineering team dispatched with specialist equipment, and the aircraft was moved to a remote section of the airport and is guarded round-the-clock by British and Indian personnel.
- The jet, valued at over $100 million, cannot be transported easily since its wingspan exceeds the cargo doors of typical heavy-lift planes, and UK officials thanked Indian authorities for their ongoing support amid concerns about protecting stealth technology security.
- Kerala’s tourism department turned the grounded jet into a unique promotional symbol with viral AI images, reflecting strong UK-India defense ties and highlighting challenges of maintaining advanced military assets abroad.
73 Articles
73 Articles
A 14-member British team of engineers has begun an inspection of a high-tech British fighter jet that has been stranded at an Indian airfield for more than three weeks. The F-35B stealth fighter jet was diverted to India after encountering bad weather on June 14. It landed in India, then reported a technical fault and was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier. Its prolonged stay in India has raised q…
How stranded UK F-35 jet in Kerala became classic case of moment marketing?
A matrimony site added a quirky twist by launching a campaign to find the pilot a perfect match, even though the real pilot was replaced a day after.British warplane Kerala, F-35B Kerala memes, emergency landing Kerala, Kerala tourism marketing, moment marketing India, viral marketing Kerala, F-35B technical snag, Thiruvananthapuram airport incident, Kerala social media campaign, digital marketing trends, F-35 jet Kerala, UK fighter jet memes, m…
A British state-of-the-art fighter jet has been stranded in India. While the plane is grounded, jokes on social media have taken off. “This is very bad PR for a professional fleet,” Sameer Patil, director of the British Center for Security, told the BBC.
The UK Air Force's most advanced F-35B has been stuck in Kerala, India, for three weeks. The British have been unable to get it operational, even though it landed at the airport on June 14th only because of bad weather that prevented it from returning to the flagship aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which was on maneuvers in the Indian Ocean.
F-35 on the ground, Kerala in highest form: With creativity, an Indian state turns a stranded camouflage jet into a commercial.
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