British F-35 Jet Lands in Kerala, Repairs Next to Coconut Vendor

British F-35 fighter jet, price tag $100M, touched down in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram for emergency repairs in 2025—right beside a bemused coconut vendor. Locals searched "what happens if a jet lands in India" and "F-35 emergency landing procedures". An engineer reportedly muttered, “We’ve fixed worse with duct tape and chai.”
After the F-35 jet’s surreal pitstop near a banana cart, British and Indian mechanics debated the merits of local coconuts as shock absorbers. Trending queries included “F-35 repair cost India” and “can civilians approach military jets?” One onlooker swore the jet’s wing reflected a passing auto-rickshaw, creating a fleeting mirage of airborne public transport.
Kerala’s repair crew reported the F-35 required exactly seven borrowed bicycle pumps, one umbrella, and two liters of chai before it could taxi off the runway again—leaving behind only tire marks and coconut husks.