Latest news with #ThiruvananthapuramAirport
News18
12 hours ago
- General
- News18
British F-35B Jet Remains In Thiruvananthapuram As Royal Navy Declines India's Support Offers
A British Royal Navy F-35B fighter jet remains grounded at Thiruvananthapuram Airport nearly a week after an emergency landing due to a suspected hydraulic failure. Days after a British Royal Navy F-35B fighter made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14, it remains grounded there, multiple media reports suggest. According to Money Control, India offered to move the jet to a hangar at the airport to help the British technical team carry out repairs. However, this offer was declined by the Royal Navy, the Indian Defence Research Wing said. The Indian Air Force later suggested building a temporary shed at the site to protect the aircraft and ground crew from rain and heat, but this offer too was reportedly turned down, the report claimed. The stealth jet, operating from the UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, landed at the Thiruvananthapuram airport due to a suspected hydraulic issue. The incident happened while it was on a routine flight outside Indian airspace when it developed a technical fault and diverted to the southern Indian airport, designated in advance as an emergency recovery site. Though the emergency landing was safely executed and previously reported, the root issue, believed to be a fault in the aircraft's hydraulic system, has not yet been resolved, leaving the fifth-generation combat jet stationed at the airport for nearly six days now. According to news agency PTI, technicians from the carrier arrived shortly after the incident to begin inspection and repairs. Six of them returned to the ship on Tuesday afternoon, while three personnel, including the pilot, remain at Thiruvananthapuram to oversee the rectification efforts. The pilot did not remain in the cockpit after landing and has been resting in the airport's apron office area. As part of precautionary protocol, the aircrew were moved to the Emergency Medical Centre after the incident. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL) has been facilitating their stay, providing accommodation and meals. A local ground handling agency was also arranged at the Royal Navy's request. The Indian Air Force, which tracked and cleared the jet for landing through its IACCS radar network, supports the UK team in returning the aircraft to full service. First Published: June 20, 2025, 14:37 IST
India Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- India Gazette
British F-35 jet grounded in southern India
The stealth fighter made an emergency landing in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday A British F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet has been grounded at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport in southern India since making an emergency landing on Saturday. British aviation engineers are working on the aircraft, which remains on the tarmac on account of a "technical snag," according to local media reports. The jet, part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, was engaged in operations in the Indo-Pacific region after conducting joint exercises with the Indian Navy. The F-35B is a fighter jet designed by Lockheed Martin that can take off and land vertically, making it suitable for use on aircraft carriers. On Saturday night, the aircraft made an emergency diversion to Thiruvananthapuram due to low fuel levels, a report by NDTV said. It made an emergency landing after encountering bad weather, which prevented it from returning to its carrier. The Indian Air Force (IAF) assisted it by using its radar network and coordinating with air traffic control to ensure a safe landing, the Times of India said. On Monday, a Royal Navy helicopter arrived at the airport to take the pilot back to the ship, suggesting the F-35's return to service may be delayed. The IAF has said the jet's emergency landing was a "normal occurrence," adding that it is providing logistical support to assist with the situation. Six technicians who had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday and Monday, returned to the HMS Prince of Wales by helicopter on Tuesday afternoon, the Times of India added. The IAF does not have the F-35 in its arsenal but US President Donald Trump said in February that his country would offer to sell the jets to India. However, local media reports have suggested that the South Asian nation was leaning towards buying the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-57. The television channel CNN-News18 cited Indian government sources as saying that the country was weighing an offer from Moscow for Su-57s, while no proposal about the F-35 was being considered. (
Mint
27-04-2025
- Mint
Bomb threat: Thiruvananthapuram International airport receives threat email; search operation on
Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram International Airport received a bomb threat. The airport received the threat via email. Bomb disposal squads are checking the terminals: PRO, Thiruvananthapuram Airport. (This is a developing story) First Published: 27 Apr 2025, 01:33 PM IST
News18
22-04-2025
- News18
Asked To Pay Customs Duty, Kerala Woman Throws Away 15 Pounds Of Gold Jewellery At The Airport
A woman from Kollam caused chaos at Thiruvananthapuram Airport by refusing to pay customs duty on 120g of gold, claiming it was her personal property. A woman arriving on an early morning flight from Dubai created chaos at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Sunday morning after violently reacting to a customs duty demand on gold ornaments she was carrying. The middle-aged woman, reportedly from Kollam, arrived on an Emirates flight and stunned Customs officials when she reacted violently to a demand that she pay 36% duty on roughly 15 sovereigns of gold jewellery, approximately 120 grams. The confrontation escalated rapidly with eyewitnesses saying that she began hurling her baggage and gold ornaments toward officers stationed at the Sankhumugham-side customs counter. According to sources within the customs department, the woman claimed the jewellery was her personal property, worn during her stay abroad while visiting relatives. She argued that since she had taken the ornaments from home and used them during her trip, she should not be subject to import duties upon return. However, customs officers explained that without valid documentation proving the jewellery had been taken out of India prior to her journey, they were compelled to impose the standard import duty. Officials noted that since the woman had not stayed abroad for more than six months – a key condition for certain duty exemptions – she was liable to pay more than Rs 2 lakh in customs tax. As the discussion turned heated, the woman reportedly removed the jewellery and threw it in front of the customs officers before storming out of the terminal to retrieve her checked luggage. In response to the commotion, Customs department immediately alerted the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who monitored the situation closely. She later returned to the customs area, accompanied by relatives, and resumed talks with officials. Despite emotional appeals and further arguments, customs authorities remained firm in their stance, clarifying that the gold would not be released without payment of the required tax. They did, however, assure her that the seized ornaments could be returned should she choose to travel back abroad. Eventually, after prolonged discussions, the woman agreed to the conditions laid out by customs and departed the airport with her family. Officials have not disclosed whether any further legal action will be taken, but the incident has once again spotlighted the recurring tensions between returning expatriates and airport customs enforcement. First Published: April 22, 2025, 16:02 IST
