British F‑35 Fighter Jets Make Emergency Landing at Trivandrum Due to Low Fuel

A UK Navy F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Saturday, at about 9:30 PM due to a low fuel condition.

The jet had to divert from its mid-air mission to make the unexpected landing after reporting that it had very little fuel remaining, news wire PTI reported citing sources.

"The pilot reported low fuel and asked for permission to land. Everything was handled quickly and professionally," the source said.

Also Read: Kedarnath Helicopter Crash: 7 Dead Near Shrine in 5th Such Incident in 2 Months

#WATCH | Kerala: An F-35 fighter jet of the UK Navy made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport due to low fuel. The aircraft is still there.

(Visuals from Thiruvananthapuram Airport) pic.twitter.com/2M0EsBJcOX

— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2025

The jet which is that of the British Carrier Strike Group aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is currently parked at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

The F-35 is the same craft which US President Donald Trump offered to include India among the chosen ones to buy from the US earlier this year.

As a protocol, all foreign military aircraft flying in an Indian airspace for refuelling must get the approval of relevant authorities in the Central government before it is done, sources told PTI.

‘Standard diversion by F-35’ says IAF

Indian Air Force (IAF) officials described the situation of the F-35 fighter jet as a routine diversion and stated they had full knowledge of the situation and had provided support in all ways they could.

"This is a normal occurrence of diversion by an F-35. The IAF was fully aware and facilitated the aircraft for flight safety reasons. All assistance is being provided, and the IAF is coordinating with all relevant agencies," the IAF said in their statement.

Also Read: Iran-Israel War Live: Trump Warns Tehran of ‘Never Seen Before’ Force if US is Attacked

What are F-35 jets?

The F-35 Lightning II, has been designed by Lockheed Martin for United States and its allies and is aglow known to be among the most advanced and adaptable fighter jets in the world.

Lockheed Martin estimates the F-35 fighter jet program will ultimately cost over $1.7 trillion for development, production, and maintenance, CNBC-18 reported.

The approximate unit cost for each variant is as follows:

$80 million for the F-35A (standard version)

$115 million for the F-35B (short takeoff/vertical landing)

$110 million for the F-35C (made for aircraft carriers)

The cost to operate an F-35 is high too; it costs about $36,000 for each hour flight of an F-35.

Also Read: Was Asim Munir Invited to the US Military Parade? White House Clears the Air Amid Backlash