Kochi: The F-35B stranded fighter jet of the Royal Air Force, U.K flew out from the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala on Tuesday to Darwin in Australia, media reports said.
The jet flew off from HMS Prince of Wales in the Indian Ocean and landed in Kerala on June 14 due to fuel deficit and other technical issues which could not be settled by experts from the UK.
Another group arrived from the UK on July 6 and got it repaired to make it fit to take off after a fortnight long maintenance.
The fifth-generation stealth aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
After remaining exposed for a few days, was towed to the hangar facility
under the supervision of an expert team.
About ₹5 lakh as parking fees
The British authorities have to pay around ₹5 lakh as parking fees to the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
It is estimated that the parking fee of around ₹15,000-₹20,000 per day will be paid by the Delhi-based Bird Group, the ground handling agency on behalf of the British authorities.
The over 102 million dollar priced F-35B is an advanced stealth fighter known for its short take-off and vertical landing capability.
Photo: X
