How Much Thiruvananthapuram Airport Is Earning From UK’s F-35 Jet Parking?

Last Updated:July 17, 2025, 20:05 IST

A UK F-35 jet has been stuck in Kerala since June 14 due to technical issues, incurring a daily parking fee of Rs 26,261. A British team arrived on July 6 to repair it.

British F-35 Fighter Jet makes emergency landing (Representative Image)

The UK’s F-35 fighter jet stranded in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram for more than a month due to technical issues is reportedly paying a “parking fees" to the airport.

On July 6, the British Royal Navy fighter jet was moved to a designated facility for British engineers to assess it.

As per the report by CNBC-TV 18 citing Indian Defence Research Wing (IDWR), it was estimated that the parking fees of the British jet is Rs 26,261 per day. As per this estimate, the parking fee for 33 days since June 14 amounts to be around Rs 8.6 lakh.

A 24-person team of British Royal Air Force arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on July 6 to inspect and assess the British F-35B fighter jet that remained grounded following an emergency landing.

The team consisting of 14 technical experts and 10 crew members assessed the condition of the stranded jet to determine whether it can be repaired locally or needs to be dismantled and transported back to the United Kingdom.

As reported earlier, the fighter jet is expected to fly back to the United Kingdom this week. Last week, the Associated Press quoted Indian officials as saying that engineers hope to repair the plane in the next few days before it can fly back to the UK.

The jet, worth over $110 million, is one of the most advanced fighter planes in the world. The aircraft was conducting operations 100 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala when it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14 due to a technical problem.

The F-35B jet, owned by Britain’s Royal Navy, might need to be dismantled for transport or flown out in one piece using a large special aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster.

The Indian Air Force extended all possible support for rectifying the issue and ensuring its return. However, when the fighter jet was preparing to return to its carrier, a hydraulic failure was detected during pre-departure checks. A small Royal Navy team attempted to repair the malfunction but was unsuccessful.

The F-35B is the only fifth-generation fighter jet with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, making it suitable for small decks, austere bases, and ships.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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Location :

Thiruvananthapuram, India, India

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