Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian delegation accompanying him to the G20 Summit may leave India on Tuesday morning, India time, according to a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Government of Canada plane CFC02 left Trenton on Sunday night for New Delhi to bring the Canadian delegation home.
According to information from Radio-Canada, a part of the damaged CFC01 plane needs to be repaired. The problem was detected during a routine pre-flight check.
The departure from India could happen as early as Tuesday morning Indian time, but the situation remains fluid, according to a government source.
Still according to our information, the situation is fluid because Canada needs to get visas for the flight crew, approve their flight plan and get the right to land in New Delhi. The Canadian High Commission in India is working to get the necessary approvals.
The new fleet of aircraft that will carry the Prime Minister and the Governor General was received in Ottawa on August 31. The interior still needs to be adapted for the needs of the government and the crew. In addition, pilots must be trained.
This new fleet of aircraft will be available in autumn 2023.
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 air fleet consists of very old planes, which were used during the time of Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
The Royal Canadian Air Force’s five CC-150 Polaris aircraft have been in service since 1992. The aircraft will reach the end of their useful life in 2027.
