UK Accepts Offer To Move Stranded F-35B To Maintenance Facility At Thiruvananthapuram Airport, India Seeks Rs 26,000 Parking Fee Per Day: Reports

Kerala: As the British Royal Navy’s F‑35B Lightning II fighter jet remains stranded in Thiruvananthapuram nearly two weeks after its emergency landing, the British High Commission has provided an update on efforts to get the aircraft airborne again. 

“A UK F-35B aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after developing an engineering issue. The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. 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. The aircraft will return to active service once repairs and safety checks have been completed. 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,” a spokesperson said.   

Amid monsoon showers, shifting sun, and round-the-clock CISF watch, the British $110-million F-35 stealth fighter jet will complete a fortnight of being stranded on the tarmac of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram airport on Friday. Multiple attempts have been made to get it back into the sky, but all in vain. Now, with the aircraft nearing two weeks of being grounded in India, the Royal British Navy is making a renewed push to get it airborne.

Grounded since June 14 reportedly due to a hydraulic snag, the F-35B will now be attended to by a special tow vehicle being flown in from the UK, along with a 40-member team of British engineers and specialists, all headed to Kerala to carry out repairs.

On June 14, the F-35B Lightning II, part of the Royal British Navy's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after reporting low fuel levels, compounded by bad weather that prevented a return to the aircraft carrier stationed 100 nautical miles off Kerala's coast.  

The Indian Air Force (IAF) facilitated the safe landing, providing refuelling and logistical support, but a subsequent hydraulic failure kept the jet grounded.

Rs 26,000 Per Day: The Parking Price Tag for a Stranded British F-35 in Kerala

According to the reports, the advanced fighter jet is racking up a hefty parking bill at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, operated by Adani. Based on the airport’s Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW)-linked fee structure, the F-35B’s 27.3 MT weight translates to approximately Rs 26,000 per day in parking fees. Over 12 days of being stranded, the total has crossed Rs 3.15 lakh (--$3,780).

This estimation uses linear interpolation between known rates:

• Learjet 60 (10.7 MT): --Rs 5,000/day
• Gulfstream G650 (45.2 MT): --Rs 50,000/day
• F-35B (--27 MT): --Rs 26,000/day

While the exact fee structure for a military stealth jet is yet to be finalized, sources indicate that the Union government may cover the costs, given the strong India-UK defense cooperation around the incident. The aircraft, parked in Bay 4 typically reserved for VIP aircraft, has not disrupted flight operations, with the Indian Air Force providing ongoing support, including fuel, accommodation, and meals for the British crew.

Meanwhile, social media in India has found humour in the jet’s prolonged stay, with viral memes listing the $110-million fighter for sale on OLX for $40 million and joking that it now deserves Indian citizenship.

ALSO READ: UK To Pay Parking Fee For British Royal Navy’s F-35B Stealth Fighter Jet, Stranded In Thiruvananthapuram, For Over A Week