Kerala Tourism Turns Grounded British F-35 Fighter Jet Into Campaign Wit

Kerala Tourism has turned an unusual aviation incident into a creative promotional campaign. A British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14, prompting the tourism department to respond with a witty social media post.

In a humorous post on X, Kerala Tourism shared a spoof message: "Kerala, the destination you will never want to leave. Thank you, The Fauxy". The post featured a fictional review from the jet: "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend", along with a five-star rating. The message quickly went viral, drawing amused responses from the public. This jet was forced to make an emergency landing due to low fuel and adverse weather conditions. It was later found to have a hydraulic malfunction, extending its layover in Kerala.

The jet is a fifth-generation supersonic stealth fighter developed by Lockheed Martin that is worth over $110 million. It was included in joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy as part of the UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group. Only a few countries possess fifth-generation fighter jets, which feature advanced and often classified technologies. These include the US F-22 Raptor, Russia's Su-57, China's Chengdu J-20, Shenyang J-31, and Turkey's TAI TFX-Kaan.