Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau finds himself stuck in India due to technical issues with his plane. Despite the Canadian military’s efforts to organize his return, Mr. Trudeau’s office has scheduled his earliest possible departure for Tuesday afternoon.
This situation comes in the wake of a tense encounter between Mr. Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit. The status of Mr. Trudeau’s flight remains uncertain, as reported by his office.
Canada’s Department of National Defence, in a statement to the BBC, confirmed that the initial aircraft, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-150 Polaris with the tail number ’01,’ encountered a “maintenance problem” linked to a component that requires replacement. The department emphasized its commitment to passenger safety and highlighted that thorough pre-flight safety checks are a standard part of their flight protocols. They view the discovery of this issue as evidence of the effectiveness of these protocols.
Replacement Aircraft
They have redirected a replacement aircraft to India to retrieve PM Justin Trudeau , and there are plans for it to depart from the UK on Tuesday. While the defence department has acknowledged the dispatch of a second aircraft for Mr. Trudeau’s return, it has not provided details about its location or estimated timelines for his arrival in Canada.
This incident is not the first time that Mr. Trudeau has faced travel disruptions related to his aircraft. Additionally, in 2019, a plane carrying journalists collided with the wing of an aircraft chartered for his campaign trail transportation. Importantly, it’s worth noting that Mr. Trudeau was not aboard the aircraft during the collision.
Furthermore, the relationship between Canada and India has been strained lately. Moreover, Canada recently suspended trade treaty negotiations with India. Notably, a significant factor in this tension is the political protests by Canada’s sizable Sikh population. Additionally, in June, two masked gunmen tragically shot and killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent advocate for a separate Sikh nation, in British Columbia. Subsequently, this incident led to Sikh separatist demonstrations in Toronto, as protestors held the Indian government responsible for Nijjar’s death. Consequently, authorities continue to investigate this killing.
