Prime Minister Trudeau Stranded in India After G20 Summit Due to Aircraft 'Technical Problems'

Pic: CTV news

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his delegation are facing an unexpected delay in their departure from India following this year's G20 summit due to a technical problem with their aircraft.

The group had initially planned to depart on Sunday night, local time. However, just before their departure, the Canadian Armed Forces identified a mechanical issue that couldn't be resolved overnight.

In an official statement, the prime minister's office stated, "Upon our departure for the airport, we were informed by the Canadian Armed Forces that CFC001 was experiencing technical difficulties. These issues cannot be resolved overnight, so our delegation will remain in India until alternative arrangements can be made."

Prime Minister Trudeau had arrived in India on Friday to participate in the G20 summit.

At present, it remains uncertain how and when the delegation, including the prime minister, will be able to return home.

This incident isn't the first time the Airbus aircraft has caused problems for Prime Minister Trudeau and his delegation. In October 2016, the aircraft had to return to Ottawa shortly after takeoff while en route to Belgium for the Canada-Europe free trade deal signing.

Additionally, in October 2019, the VIP plane suffered significant structural damage when it collided with a hangar wall while being towed at 8 Wing Trenton in Ontario, resulting in several months of service downtime. During that period, a backup aircraft was used for the NATO summit in December 2019, but it too faced grounding issues in London due to engine problems identified by the Royal Canadian Air Force.