AFTER remaining stranded here for about a month following a technical issue, a British Royal Navy fighter jet was on Sunday moved to a designated facility for British engineers to assess it, airport sources said. An engineering team from the UK arrived at the international airport here on Sunday to assess and repair the British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning fighter jet which made an emergency landing at the airport nearly a month ago. According to sources, more than a dozen technicians are a part of this crucial repair-work mission. A British High Commission spokesperson confirmed the arrival of the engineering team at the airport.

 

“A UK engineering team has deployed to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to assess and repair the UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion,” the spokesperson said in a statement. It further said that the UK has accepted the offer of a space in the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility of the airport, and are in discussions to finalise arrangements with relevant authorities. “In line with standard procedure, the aircraft will be moved following the arrival of UK engineers, who are carrying specialist equipment necessary for the movement and repair process,” it said. Meanwhile, airport sources said the fighter jet was moved to the MRO.

 

“The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams,” the British High Commission statement added. Sources familiar with the matter said multiple attempts had been made to restore the aircraft on-site, but the highly specialised systems and need for proprietary tools delayed progress. The jet, worth over USD 110 million and known to be one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on 14 June. It is pertinent to note here that the jet, part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group aboard HMS Prince of Wales, was forced to divert and land on June 14 after reportedly running low on fuel during a sortie over the Indian Ocean. The matter hogged national headlines after repeated attempts to repair the aircraft yielded no positive outcome. It remained grounded at the airport since then, awaiting repairs after developing a technical fault.