Earlier today, USAF Boeing KC-46A Pegasus (c/s GOLD74) departed Lajes Field in the Azores together with the TABOR31 flight, comprising six F-35A Lightning II fighters. The planned routing for the formation was the standard Lajes–Morón Air Base leg, a well-established segment of long-range fighter transfers from the continental United States toward forward operating areas.
During the same time window, another tanker, an USAF Boeing KC-46A (c/s GOLD71), aborted its takeoff at Morón Air Base. The abort reportedly resulted in damage that temporarily rendered the runway unavailable, with the aircraft remaining on the strip. As a direct consequence, the GOLD74–TABOR31 package was instructed to divert to Naval Station Rota, a routine alternate that regularly supports US Air Force tanker and fighter movements in the region.
The diversion itself appears to be precautionary rather than exceptional. Rota offers full logistical, maintenance and command support for both tankers and fifth-generation fighters, and is frequently used as a fallback during transatlantic and Mediterranean crossings. There is no indication that the F-35A formation encountered technical issues of its own, nor that the broader mission profile has been altered.
From an operational standpoint, this episode reflects the inherent flexibility built into long-range fighter ferry operations. Multiple alternates, spare tankers and adaptable routing are standard elements of these transfers, especially at a time when US air movements toward the Gulf have increased in recent days.
The TABOR31 flight is therefore expected to resume its eastbound journey once refuelling arrangements are revalidated, continuing toward the Middle East as originally planned. In this sense, today’s diversion should be seen as a minor adjustment within a much larger and ongoing deployment flow, rather than a disruption.
As the US Air Force continues to move assets across the Atlantic after weeks of sustained activity, short pauses and reroutes like this remain part of normal operations, particularly when managing complex multi-aircraft packages over long distances.
The following article confirms your message and gives us additional background information:
https://theaviationist.com/2026/01/30/f-35as-puerto-rico-moving-across-the-atlantic/