
Stranded UK F-35 jet becomes unexpected star in Indian tourism campaign
The Royal Navy aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at the airport of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on June 14 and has been grounded ever since, despite efforts to repair it.
An AI-generated image of the stealth aircraft parked on the tarmac surrounded by coconut trees has gone viral after it was shared by Kerala's tourism department on Wednesday.
'This was part of our tourism campaign. It has been one of the most innovative and eye-catching ones… It's all in good humour and creativity,' Biju K., Kerala's tourism secretary, told Reuters.
In the viral social media post, originally created by entertainment website The Fauxy, the jet can be seen giving the state of Kerala five golden stars, calling it 'an amazing place'.
'I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend,' the image quotes the jet as saying.
'Though tourism is under the government, it has moved out of government space in promoting the destination,' said Roy Mathew, director of Stark Communications, the tourism department's brand promotion agency.
Kerala is among India's most popular tourist destinations, and markets itself with the tagline 'God's own country'. Last year, 22.2 million tourists visited the state.
It boasts natural beauty along India's south-western coastline and a rich heritage of classical dances, temple festivals and vibrant cuisine.
The Indian Air Force said last month it would help in the repair and return of the F-35, which made an emergency landing on June 14 when it was flying over the Arabian Sea off Kerala's coast.
A British High Commission spokesperson told Reuters the UK had accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. The jet will be moved to the hangar once engineering teams arrive from the UK with specialist equipment, the spokesperson added.
The Royal Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
UK's Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said in Parliament on Monday that a Royal Air Force crew were in Thiruvananthapuram and working with Indian counterparts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox News
19 hours ago
- Fox News
Beach town bans men's too-short swim trunks, sparking debate and rule flipflop
While some tourists may have a "sky's out, thighs out" attitude toward their swim trunks, one Mediterranean town begs to differ. The mayor of Chetaïbi, Alegeria, called for longer and looser shorts on men — issuing a decree banning them from walking around in Bermuda shorts. "These summer outfits disturb the population. They go against our society's moral values and sense of decency," Mayor Layachi Allaoua said, according to The Associated Press (AP). "The population can no longer tolerate seeing foreigners wandering the streets in indecent clothing," he added. The decision sparked a regional debate over religious and traditional attire as opposed to the habits of more open-minded beachgoers. Officials in the coastal city of Annaba called on the mayor to rescind his order. After two days of controversy, the mayor did reverse the order — saying he wanted to preserve "peace and tranquility" for both locals and tourists and that he was not influenced by Islamist pressure, according to AP. In 2023, 3.3 million people visited the North African country of Algeria, according to the tourism ministry. Islam is Algeria's official state religion, with 99% of residents identified as Sunni Muslims, according to the CIA's World Factbook. Between 1991 and 2002, the Algerian Civil War led to more openly visible religious practices in daily life. "Modesty is a foundational virtue of Islamic culture, which is intrinsically linked to awara," notes a study published in the MAQOLAT: Journal of Islamic Studies. "The idea of awara … refers to the parts of the body that must be covered to maintain privacy and dignity," the study says. Men should cover their bodies from the navel to the knees — while women must cover their entire body aside from face and hands.


Bloomberg
a day ago
- Bloomberg
US Retail Faces Hit As Tourists Spend Abroad
International tourists who travel to the US love to shop — but that might change. Augusta Saraiva explains why travelers are avoiding the US this summer (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Analysts reboot Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Lines stock price targets on strong value
Analysts reboot Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Lines stock price targets on strong value originally appeared on TheStreet. All ashore who's going ashore! The travel industry has been on the upswing since the dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic and that trend seems poised to continue. 💵💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💰 A recent Deloitte survey found that more travelers planned to raise their holiday travel budgets from the prior-year level. And among those, 40% said they would do so because 'travel has become more important to me since the pandemic.' The report said affordability was often the biggest barrier to travel, noting that "either a hit to consumer confidence or persistent high prices could challenge travel demand in the coming year." About one in five Americans surveyed said they had opted out of a trip they wanted to take due to the high cost of flights or lodging, Deloitte said. The report also warned of the Trump administration's tariffs and deportations of undocumented workers, which could result in staffing shortages. The cruise industry has been growing steadily, according to Cruise Lines International Association's state-of-the-industry report, which was issued in May. Cruise is small but 'dynamic' part of tourism sector Bud Darr, the association's president and CEO, said in a statement that cruising "continues to be one of the most dynamic and resilient sectors in tourism, growing in line with strong demand for cruise holidays, particularly among younger generations and new-to-cruise travelers." Cruise travel earns higher satisfaction ratings compared with other holiday choices, the report said. That's shown in repeat factors – 25% of repeat cruisers sail two or more times per year; 14% cruise twice a year; and 11% take three to five cruises a year. More Economic Analysis: GOP plan to remove Fed Chair Powell escalates Federal Reserve official gives green light to July rate cut Trump deflects reports on firing Fed Chair Powell 'soon' Former Federal Reserve official sends bold message on 'regime change' Expedition and exploration cruises are the fastest-growing segments of cruise, with 22% more passengers choosing these voyages in 2024 over 2023. Forty-two million people — roughly the population of France — are forecast to sail in 2028, up 21% from 34.6 million last year. And the report said cruising has plenty of room for growth, since it is currently only 2.7% of the international travel and tourism sector. Several investment firms have been reviewing the cruise industry and issued research reports on some of the top companies. TD Cowen initiated coverage of both Carnival () with a buy rating and $36 price target and Norwegian Cruise Line () , which got a buy rating and $31 target. Carnival shares are up 20% this year and up 62% from a year ago, while Norwegian stock has slipped nearly 10% in 2025 and are up 18% from a year ago. Analyst calls cruise lines underappreciated The investment firm also initiated coverage of Royal Caribbean () with a buy rating and $405 price target. The company's shares are up 51% this year and have more than doubled (up 107%) from a year ago. TD Cowen's analysts called the cruise lines "underappreciated" share gainers in the travel space, according to The Fly. The cruise names offer a strong value proposition, which will drive long-term share gains, the firm said. TD estimates annual revenue growth of 7% for the industry through 2029. It views Carnival as an industry leader with an opportunity to widen profit margins. Citi raised its price target on Carnival to $37 from $30 and affirmed a buy rating on the shares. It lifted its target on Norwegian to $30 from $25 and maintained a buy rating. The investment firm says "better-than-ever" demand and lower-than-historical supply growth are setting up a favorable pricing environment that could last much longer than investors expect. Citi says recent data show improving trends in May through July. The firm replaced Royal Caribbean with Carnival on its Focus analyst C. Patrick Scholes downgraded Royal Caribbean to hold from buy with a price target of $337, up from $275. Scholes said that he has observed a bounce-back in bookings since April's pullback. But when he averages March-through-early-July's bookings compared with a year earlier, the demand pace is up only low-to-mid-single digits percent, off from the high-teens monthly pace that 2024 averaged, the analyst said. Norwegian Cruise Line is scheduled to report second-quarter results July 31, while Royal Caribbean is slated to report July 29. For the fiscal first half ended May 31, Carnival swung to net income of 37 cents a share from a loss of a dime a share in the year-earlier half. Revenue rose 8.5% to $12.14 reboot Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Lines stock price targets on strong value first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 22, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data