He came, he saw, he parked... and forgot how to take off.
What was supposed to be a routine emergency landing turned into a 3-week-long meme marathon, a PR jackpot for Kerala Tourism, and an awkward moment in global military logistics. Yes, the UK’s “most advanced” fighter jet is still stuck in God’s Own Country and it’s living rent-free in both the airport and our minds.

So... why is it still there?

On June 14, a British Royal Navy F‑35B (worth roughly ₹850 crore) made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport. The reason? Low fuel + suspected hydraulic failure = one unplanned Kerala vacation.

While the UK’s Ministry of Defence tried to play it cool, local engineers, memes, and rain had other plans.

Despite some on-site patchwork by British Navy technicians, the jet refused to fly. It sat through monsoon showers like a true Malayali and now finally made its way into a repair hangar after a 40-member British repair squad showed up.

Still no confirmed take-off date. Meanwhile, jet lag is real.

But the internet? Took off at Mach speed.

From "Jet stuck like Britishers in 1857" to memes about the fighter learning Kathakali, the desi internet turned into a full-blown meme airbase.

Even Kerala Tourism got in on the action, posting a 5-star AI-generated image of the jet under coconut trees with the caption:
  "The place you never want to leave." Mic drop.

Soon, local businesses joined in:

  • Marriage bureaus offered the jet to a Malayali bride.

  • Education consultancies promised to upskill it.

  • And one legend listed it as “lightly used fighter jet – DM for price.”

 But It’s Not Just a Meme

This is the first time an F‑35B has landed on Indian soil, and the diplomatic implications are as serious as the memes are funny. The Indian Air Force and CISF have been guarding the aircraft 24x7, ensuring no sensitive tech is compromised.

British engineers are working around the clock, and if repairs fail, the backup plan might involve airlifting it out, yes, via a C‑17 military cargo plane. Talk about an expensive Uber.

From Fighter Jet to Influencer Jet

The F-35B came to India as a defense powerhouse and left (well, still here) as: A meme magnet, a tourism brand ambassador, a poster child for “Kerala never lets you go”
Honestly? Give it Aadhaar already.