Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian delegation in New Delhi cannot leave India after the G20 Summit.
Technical problems prevented the Canadian Prime Minister’s plane CFC001 from taking off.
Upon arrival at the airport, the Canadian delegation received information that the Prime Minister’s plane was experiencing technical difficulties that could not be repaired in a short time.
said Justin Trudeau’s team.
The Canadian delegation will remain in India until alternative transportation is available.
According to information obtained by Radio-Canada, Justin Trudeau’s return to Ottawa may take 48 hours.
Not only does the arrival of a new aircraft seem necessary to bring back the Prime Minister’s contingent, but flight time standards must be respected for the crew. Part of the crew is already in Rome to take over after a planned refueling stop.
Protocol requires the prime minister to travel on a government-owned plane. If Mr. Trudeau decided to take a commercial flight, it has many security implications and will become a precedent.
Justin Trudeau is expected this week in London, Ontario, for the Liberal caucus, but he may miss the meeting if he takes too long to return.
Trudeau arrived at the G20 Summit in New Delhi early Saturday. This stop marked the last stage of his journey in the Indo-Pacific territory. He was originally scheduled to return to Ottawa on Monday.
Known issues
This is not the first time that the planes used by the Prime Minister have had difficulties.
In October 2016, a plane carrying the Prime Minister of Belgium had to turn around and return to Ottawa 30 minutes after takeoff.
In 2019, when he left London for the NATO summit, the Prime Minister’s main plane had to be replaced because it suffered damage. Upon departure from London, the spare plane was also unavailable, forcing the Prime Minister’s team to provide another plane for the return to Ottawa.
The Prime Minister’s fleet consists of very old aircraft, which were used during the Brian Mulroney era.
The Royal Canadian Air Force’s five CC-150 Polaris aircraft have been in service since 1992. Their useful lives are scheduled to end in 2027.
Last July, the Government of Canada announced that it had reached an agreement with the company Airbus Defense and Space for the acquisition of four Airbus A330 in-flight refueling aircraft (MRTT) and for the renewal of five used A330-200. to strengthen the continental defense capabilities of the Canadian air force.
The planes intended to transport the prime minister are not yet operational, with pilots and flight attendants having to be trained first.
