PM Canada Due to an aircraft snag, Justin Trudeau is still stuck in India; his earliest departure window is Tuesday afternoon
After the G20 conference, Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, is stranded in New Delhi due to a mechanical issue with his official aircraft. The Canadian High Commission in New Delhi pointed AFP to a statement from Trudeau’s office stating that the Canadian air force, which runs the jet, had told the delegation that it “was experiencing technical difficulties”.
On Friday, Trudeau landed in India for the summit of the 20 largest economies. After placing a wreath at a monument honoring Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, he was scheduled to fly home on Sunday, but a technical issue held him in India all day. “These issues cannot be resolved overnight,” it said. “Our delegation will remain in India until other arrangements are made.”
The aircraft was identified as an Airbus by Canada’s CTV, which also noted that it was unclear when it would be able to return and that this “isn’t the first time” it has experienced difficulties. The ‘Flying Taj Mahal’ called aircraft, which is 34 years old, has transported Trudeau around the world before but had a technical issue. In 2019, the wing of a jet rented to take him on the campaign trail crashed with a plane carrying journalists. He wasn’t traveling on the plane at the time.
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-150 Polaris with tail number “01” encountered a “maintenance problem” resulting from a “component that will have to be replaced,” the Canadian Department of National Defence stated in a statement to the BBC.
“The safety of all passengers is critical to the RCAF, and pre-flight safety checks are a regular part of all our flight protocols,” the statement said. “The discovery of this problem is proof that these protocols work,”
The statement from the defense department acknowledged that a second plane had been sent to bring Trudeau home, but it made no mention of the aircraft’s position or the anticipated timing of his return to Canada.
Canada has put the talks on a trade pact with India on hold due to the deteriorating relationship between the two countries. Compared to some of his G7 contemporaries, Trudeau’s attendance at the G20 meeting was more understated, and it took place amid host-government tensions with India over Ottawa’s treatment of Sikh separatists.
At the G20 Leaders Summit, Trudeau and PM Modi had one-on-one conversations.He said that PM Modi spoke with him about Khalistani extremist concerns. In response, Justin Trudeau said that “actions of a few do not represent the entire community or Canada”. “Clearly, Canada will always support the rights to free speech and peaceful assembly. We place a great deal of importance on it. At the same time, we work tirelessly to stop violence and combat prejudice. On the subject of community, I believe it is crucial to keep in mind that the acts of a small number do not speak for the whole community or Canada. On the other hand, Justin Trudeau remarked, “We also emphasized the need of respecting the rule of law and we did speak about foreign meddling.
