Stranded British Jet Moved To Hangar After 25 UK Engineers Arrive

The British Royal Navy’s F-35 Jet that had been stranded in Thiruvananthapuram since June 14 has been moved into a hangar for repair work. A team of 25 UK technicians arrived in Kerala on Sunday by Royal Air Force Airbus A400M to tend to the malfunctions of the jet. 

The British F-35B Lightning fighter jet had an emergency landing on June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, PTI reports. According to a statement by the British High Commission, the jet made this unscheduled emergency landing due to an ‘engineering issue’. The F-35B fighter jet is valued at over $110 million and is the most expensive fighter jet in terms of development cost.

The jet has been shifted to the airport's Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) by the British technicians team after their arrival with special equipment. The Indian Air Force is assisting with the logistics and coordination for the repair of the jet, according to ANI reports.

The British High Commission released a statement confirming that the aircraft would take flight again after servicing, “Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed. The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of Indian authorities and airport teams.”

In a preliminary assessment by three Royal Navy technicians found a hydraulic failure in the pre-departure checks. This grounded the plane for the next three weeks. 

Initially, the British Navy declined the offer from Air India to move the jet into the hangar from the tarmac, but now, with the arrival of the British engineers, they have agreed to move the jet to the hangar.