By Bhavya Velani
According to sources, India offered the aircraft ‘Air India One‘ to Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau after his special aircraft experienced technical issues shortly before his departure from New Delhi following the G20 Summit.
However, the Canadian delegation declined the offer and opted to wait for the backup aircraft. After a two-day delay, Trudeau and his delegation eventually departed from New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon.
Canada PM Side Refuses Air India One
Trudeau had initially traveled to India for the G20 Summit and faced an extended stay in the national capital due to a technical problem with his Airbus plane on Sunday night.
As a result, the Canadian side requested an alternative aircraft to transport the Prime Minister and his delegation back to Canada.
The replacement aircraft, which was expected to arrive in New Delhi on Monday night, also encountered an unscheduled diversion to London, further prolonging Trudeau’s departure from India.
Sources have revealed that India extended an offer to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and his delegation to utilize the aircraft ‘Air India One’ for their return journey upon learning about the delay caused by a technical issue with their special aircraft.
However, the Canadian side declined this offer and opted to await the backup aircraft. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, expressed gratitude to Trudeau on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attending the G20 Summit.
Canadian PM Aircraft Delay
Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau’s departure from New Delhi after the G20 Summit may face further delays due to an unexpected diversion of the replacement aircraft, as reported by CBC News.
Trudeau and his team were originally scheduled to leave India on Sunday night.
According to the report, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-150 Polaris, en route to New Delhi, was diverted from its planned route through Rome and instead redirected to London. The specific reason for this diversion has not been disclosed.
As per the report, the CC-150 Polaris may not depart from London until Tuesday morning, local time. Additionally, a separate team, including a technician carrying a replacement part, has been dispatched to Delhi as a contingency measure.
However, according to reports, if neither the Airbus plane nor the replacement flight becomes available, Trudeau and his delegation may need to return to Canada on another aircraft.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the G20 Summit and was welcomed by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Canadian delegation had initially planned to return on Sunday.
However, the Toronto Sun reported that the Canadian Armed Forces dispatched an aircraft to collect Trudeau after the plane he had taken to Delhi was grounded due to technical issues.
Source: Aviation A2Z
https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2023/09/13/canada-refuses-air-india-one-to-fly-pm-justin-trudeau/
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Coverpage’s editorial stance.
