New Delhi, 6 July

UK authorites have accepted the offer of space in a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the British Royal Navy F-35B fighter jet stranded in Thiruvananthapuram and are in discussions to finalise arrangements with relevant authorities, a British High Commission Spokesperson said on Sunday

The statement further said that following the standard procedure, the aircraft will be moved after the arrival of UK engineers.

"A UK engineering team has deployed to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to assess and repair the UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion," the statement said.

"The UK has accepted the offer of a space in the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, and are in discussions to finalise arrangements with relevant authorities. In line with standard procedure, the aircraft will be moved following the arrival of UK engineers, who are carrying specialist equipment necessary for the movement and repair process," the statement added.

The High Commissioner thanked India for its support to the UK in this matter.

"The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams."

A team of around 25 technical experts from the British Royal Air Force arrived aboard an A400M Atlas military transport aircraft to inspect the F-35B fighter jet that made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of 14 June, sources said.

The visiting team will assess 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.

Since its unscheduled landing nearly three weeks ago, the presence of the advanced stealth fighter has generated considerable public curiosity and turned into a quirky marketing trend in the state.

The Kerala Tourism Department was the first to share an image of the aircraft on social media with a humorous caption, and this was quickly followed by similar posts from Milma (Kerala's dairy cooperative), the Kerala Police, the State AIDS Control Society, and several private organisations.