Kerala Tourism’s creative take on British F–35 B wins the internet

The Royal Navy’s F – 35B stealth fighter, remains grounded in Kerala, two weeks after it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram. Now, the social media team of Kerala Tourism has taken a quirky yet creative take on the incident. “Kerala is such an amazing place. I don’t want to leave. Definitely recommend”, posted the fighter jet from an imaginary social media account named UK F–35 B. Kerala Tourism has shared the picture with the caption, ‘Kerala, the destination that you’ll never want to leave.’ Meanwhile, the comment box is filled with hilarious comments like ‘now F–35 should have an ayurvedic massage before it is airborne again’. Netizens are also impressed by the incredible marketing strategy of the Kerala Tourism page.

The fifth-generation fighter was forced to land at Thiruvananthapuram airport due to a technical snag. A team of expert technicians and engineers will reach Thiruvananthapuram today. Meanwhile, another team will join them with the necessary equipment to transfer the fighter jet to a hangar this week. This is the first time that Britain’s fifth-generation fighter jet is being repaired at an airport in India.

The aircraft, an F-35B stealth fighter that costs $ 110 million, had taken off for a training mission from the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales as part of a joint exercise. However, the jet made an emergency landing on June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport due to low fuel. An inspection done after the landing revealed a problem with the aircraft’s hydraulic system. The hydraulic system is crucial to the functioning of the aircraft's landing gear and brakes. Although efforts were underway to get the aircraft airborne, they were unsuccessful. The fighter jet that has been grounded at Thiruvananthapuram for over a fortnight has garnered wide public attention.