Canada PM Trudeau Stranded In India After Plane Breaks Down 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his entire delegation have been stuck in India since Sunday while trying to leave the Group of 20 summit after their plane broke down. 

Trudeau, his delegation, and journalists were set to depart New Delhi after the summit but were delayed when Canadian Armed Forces pilots, conducting a pre-flight checklist, noticed a mechanical issue that could not be fixed overnight. 

“Upon our departure for the airport, we were made aware by the Canadian Armed Forces that CFC001 was experiencing technical issues,” Trudeau’s office told CTV News. 

Trudeau’s office continued, “These issues are not fixable overnight, our delegation will be staying in India until alternate arrangements are made.”

CTV noted that the Airbus jet had caused other flight disruptions for Trudeau and his delegation in the past. 

An issue in October 2016 required the aircraft to return to Ottawa 30 minutes after taking off with the prime minister, who was en route to Belgium to sign the Canada-Europe free trade deal.

Then, in October 2019, the VIP plane rolled into a wall while being towed into a hangar at 8 Wing Trenton in Ontario, sustaining “significant structural damage to the nose and right engine cowling,” according to the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The plane was out of service for several months that year as a result. A backup aircraft was used to take Trudeau to the NATO summit in December 2019, but it was grounded in London when the Royal Canadian Air Force discovered a problem with one of the engines. -CTV

Bloomberg pointed out that earlier Sunday before Trudeau was set to depart, Minister Narendra Modi criticized Canada for allowing anti-India activities involving extremists, such as Sikh secessionist groups, to operate in the country. India’s Foreign Ministry said, “The nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well … It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats.”

In an update on Trudeau and his stranded delegation, The Canadian Press News’ Mickey Djuric said the Canadian Armed Forces are sending a new plane. 

Trudeau and his delegation are “working in New Delhi today at the hotel” while waiting for the new plane.