British F-35B fighter jet pilot sought chair at TVM airport after emergency landing

A British F-35B fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala on Saturday night due to reportedly low fuel. The pilot upon landing sought a chair and sat near the aircraft.

Officials revealed that the jet, which took off from the UK Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, sought permission from the airport’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) around 9:20 pm before landing safely at about 9:30 pm. The pilot, identified only as Mike, was allowed to disembark after completing customs and immigration formalities.

However, when Air Force officials arrived to escort him for security procedures, he refused to leave the immediate vicinity of the jet, insisting on a chair to rest first. After some time spent sitting near the aircraft, he finally accompanied the officials inside the airport.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) issued a statement on Sunday, saying it was “fully aware” of the incident and had facilitated the emergency landing for “flight safety reasons.” It added that all necessary assistance is being provided and that the IAF is coordinating with relevant agencies.

"This is a normal occurrence of diversion by an F-35. The IAF was fully aware and facilitated the aircraft for flight safety reasons. All assistance is being provided, and the IAF is coordinating with all relevant agencies," the IAF said in their statement.