An F-35B Lightning II combat jet belonging to the Royal Navy finally departed from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram airport on Tuesday, weeks after it was forced to make an emergency landing on 14 June due to technical issues and low fuel levels. The jet’s extended stay on Indian soil drew widespread attention both offline and online — and, unsurprisingly, sparked a flurry of memes on the social media platform X.
(Also read: Pak minister schooled by CNN anchor for absurd 'social media' reply as proof of downing Indian jets)
The advanced fighter aircraft remained grounded for nearly a month, as repeated attempts to fix the issue were unsuccessful. Valued at around £85 million, the jet sat idle on the runway, becoming an unlikely local attraction and a constant source of amusement across the internet.
Meme storm after fighter jet finally takes off
As news broke of the Royal Navy’s prized jet finally taking off from Thiruvananthapuram, users on X flooded the platform with witty remarks and laugh-out-loud memes.
Take a look at some of the most amusing memes below:
{{/usCountry}}Take a look at some of the most amusing memes below:
{{/usCountry}}British team lands with tools and gratitude
A team of British military engineers arrived at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 6 with specialised equipment to carry out the necessary repairs on the F-35B.
(Also read: UK's F-35B jet, stranded in Kerala for over a month, flies back)
A spokesperson for the British High Commission stated that the aircraft departed from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Tuesday after the engineering team successfully completed “repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service.”
Expressing gratitude for the support received during the jet’s extended stay, the spokesperson added, “The UK remains deeply grateful for the support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport personnel throughout the repair and recovery process. We look forward to further strengthening our defence partnership with India in the future.”