British fighter jet makes emergency landing in Thiruvananthapuram

A British F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at the International Airport after running low on fuel, sources said .

The jet, which is believed to have taken off from an aircraft carrier, landed safely at around 9.30 pm, they said on Sunday. Airport authorities declared an emergency to ensure a smooth and safe landing, said a source.

"Normal occurence of diversion by F-35. IAF fully aware and facilitated the aircraft for flight safety reasons. All assistance being given, and IAF is in coordination with all agencies," the Indian Air Force said in a statement.

Operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), this particular F-35 is based out of RAF Marham in Norfolk. The emergency landing in India followed an earlier incident back in the UK. On Thursday, the same model aircraft was forced to declare an emergency during a routine flight near its home base due to what the RAF described as a "minor technical issue." The jet landed safely without further complications.

“The RAF can confirm an F-35 Lightning experienced a minor technical issue during a routine flight last night,” an RAF spokesperson stated on Friday, underscoring that the situation was under control and no injuries were reported.