A British F-35 carrier-based fighter aircraft made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport around 9.30 pm on Saturday. The pilot sought permission to make an emergency landing due to the fuel shortage.

The single-seater single-engine aircraft had taken off from frigate HMS Prince of Wales (R09), the British Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, but could not land as there was a "dramatic worsening of the weather conditions". It was then that the pilot sought an emergency landing by contacting Air Traffic Control on an international distress frequency. After getting instructions from the ATC, the F-35 prioritised the Thiruvanathapuram International Airport. The airport made all the necessary arrangements, and the aircraft landed safely. 

The aircraft is parked in the General Aviation terminal where VIP planes are normally found. It would require clearance from the Indian Air Force to refuel and then fly back to its carrier base. Indian Defence PRO and the Thiruvananthapuram airport authorities told Onmanorama that the IAF was dealing with the issue and that they had not yet been formally briefed on the status of the landed aircraft.

Unofficially, sources said that the aircraft's return would be hassle-free as it is part of the assets of HMS Prince of Wales (R09), the lead ship of the UK Carrier Strike Group. For two days, on June 9 and 10, HMS Prince of Wales and frigate HMS Richmond were engaged in a passage exercise (naval drill conducted between two or more friendly navies) with Indian Navy submarine INS Tabar and P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. The drill included anti-submarine warfare operations, tactical manoeuvres, cross-deck helicopter control, and officer exchanges between the two navies.

The frigate's dalliance with the Indian Navy comes soon after its intensive drills with NATO allies in the Mediterranean. In fact, HMS Prince of Wales leads what is termed "Operation Highmast', a UK-led eight-month deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group, primarily focused on the Indo-Pacific region.

It was on April 23 that UK Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Prince of Wales was flagged off from Portsmouth, England. The Group's objective is to conduct a series of exercises and operations with air, sea and land forces of a dozen allies in the Mediterranean, Middle East, South-east Asia, Japan and Australia. Operation Highmast is commanded by Commodore James Blackmore and his staff from aboard HMS Prince of Wales.