Grounded British F-35B Fighter Jet Departs from Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram: The British F-35B Lightning fighter jet, which had been grounded at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport for over a month, took off on Tuesday morning following successful maintenance work, according to airport sources.

The aircraft departed at 10:50 a.m. and is en route to Darwin, Australia. On Monday, it was moved out of the hangar and positioned at the airport bay in preparation for departure.

Part of the British Royal Navy’s elite stealth fleet, the F-35B is among the world’s most advanced fighter jets, valued at over USD 110 million. The aircraft had made an emergency landing at the airport on June 14 after encountering a technical fault, and had remained grounded until the issue was resolved.