Luke AFB officials to decide Thursday whether to lift F-35A grounding next week

By Courtney Albon / June 14, 2017 at 2:08 PM

Luke Air Force Base officials expect to make a decision tomorrow about whether to resume F-35A flights next week.

Service spokeswoman Maj. Rebecca Heyse told Inside Defense today flights could resume as soon as Monday, June 19. 

The Air Force grounded all F-35As flying at Luke Air Force Base, AZ, on June 9, after five reports of hypoxia-like symptoms. The grounding was initially reported to be a 24-hour “pause,” but the service later announced flights would be on hold indefinitely. To date, F-35A flight restrictions have not extended beyond the base, according to Air Force spokesman Capt. Mark Graff.

Luke AFB's 56th Fighter Wing commander will make the call on when to resume flights. A team of pilots, maintainers, medical professionals and military and industry experts are analyzing the reported incidents and considering possible risk mitigation.

The fighter wing hosts 55 F-35 jets and is a key training asset for the F-35 program.

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