Thiruvananthapuram: The British F-35B fighter jet, which has been grounded at Thiruvananthapuram airport due to a technical snag since June 14, is scheduled to leave on Tuesday.A team of technicians who arrived from the UK, including those from the manufacturer, rectified the snag in its hydraulic system. An airport official said that the plane was brought out of the hangar on Monday evening and will depart on Tuesday morning. It took almost a week for the team to repair the plane.The aircraft which was part of the UK navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales was out on a routine flight when it developed a snag and could not land on the ship. As Thiruvananthapuram airport was already notified as the airport for emergency diversions, the plane reached the airport and requested an emergency landing permission. Indian Air Force assisted in the process. The jet landed safely and was parked in Bay 4. However, the technical team from the aircraft carrier couldn’t repair it and later it was moved to Air India’s hangar when the team from the UK arrived.Sources said that the airport operator might charge a fee for the aircraft.
