British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, currently grounded at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, has bizarrely shown up online — or so it seemed. A screenshot claiming the advanced combat aircraft was listed for sale on OLX for USD 4 million recently went viral, leaving many shocked and amused in equal measure.

The jet, one of the world’s most advanced military aircraft, had made an unscheduled landing on June 14 due to a technical fault. Since then, the aircraft has been stationed at the airport under tight security, while British engineers work to fix a reported hydraulic failure.

Viral OLX post sparks internet frenzy

A screenshot that appeared to be from the online marketplace OLX showed a photo of the British F-35B alongside specifications such as “automatic parking,” “brand-new tyres,” and a “new battery,” with a listed price of USD 4 million. The image circulated widely across social media platforms, with one user joking, "India is not for Beginners. Indians put Royal Navy's #F35B stealth fighter jet for sale on OLX, which has been grounded in Kerala's #Thiruvananthapuram airport for 6 days. (sic)"

However, the post was swiftly debunked. No such listing was found on OLX’s official website, and the presence of US dollar pricing for a sale purportedly in Kerala raised further doubts about its authenticity.

When the post was flagged on X (formerly Twitter), OLX responded, “Dear OLX User, We regret the inconvenience caused to you. We would quickly like to resolve this for you. Please send us an email on support@olx.in us with the complete details so that we can check further.”

What’s really happening with the jet?

The F-35B, known for being one of the most advanced and expensive fighter jets in the world, remains stationed at Bay No. 4 of Thiruvananthapuram airport. It had taken off from the HMS Prince of Wales—which was conducting joint naval exercises with the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea—when it was forced to land due to a fuel shortage and technical snag.

British aviation engineers who initially arrived on-site were unable to resolve the hydraulic failure. Pilot Freddy and two technicians returned to the UK last Friday, making way for a new team that has since taken charge of the aircraft.

30-member team from UK and US to arrive

According to sources, a fully equipped 30-member expert team is expected to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram soon. The team will reportedly include technicians from both the UK and the United States, specifically from Lockheed Martin Corporation—the American defence giant that manufactures the F-35.

Their objective will be to carry out a complete technical inspection and make arrangements to transport the aircraft back to the UK.

The Indian Air Force had offered to move the F-35B to a hangar for protection from the rain or to construct a temporary shed to assist the British technicians. However, both proposals were rejected by British authorities.

Speculation suggests this may be a deliberate effort to protect the confidentiality of the fighter jet’s design and operational systems, preventing access to even allied foreign personnel.

The F-35 has now spent over six days parked in open space amid Kerala’s monsoon conditions. Security remains tight around the site, with access strictly controlled.