Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Airbus plane was hit and a replacement plane scheduled to arrive in the Indian capital on Monday night could be delayed from New Delhi due to an unscheduled diversion. Departures may be further delayed, CBC News reported. The snag prevented Trudeau from leaving as planned after Sunday night’s G20 summit.
CBC News reported that the Royal Canadian Air Force CC-150 Polaris dispatched to New Delhi was scheduled to fly through Rome, but was diverted from London. The reason for the diversion was not disclosed. According to reports, the CC-150 Polaris may only leave London on Tuesday morning (local time). CBC reported that as an alternative measure, technicians with replacement parts were also sent to Delhi.
Prime Minister Trudeau could fly home on an Airbus flight if it meets aviation safety regulations. If neither the original nor a replacement plane is available, another plane will be sent to pick him and his entourage.
The aircraft used by Prime Minister Trudeau is 36 years old and has caused problems before. In October 2016, the aircraft returned to Ottawa 30 minutes after taking off for Belgium. The plane has been out of service for 16 months, and a spare plane landed in London in December 2019 while Prime Minister Trudeau was in town for a NATO summit.
Trudeau’s main opponent, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poièvre, accused the prime minister of mismanagement. “Prime Minister Trudeau is now experiencing the same flight delays he has inflicted on Canadians due to the mismanagement of federal airports,” he wrote on social media platform X.
In another post, he said there would be some turbulence on the horizon. “But a new crew is heading to this country we know and love. Let’s bring it home.” It was a reference to the possibility of a change of government in the 2025 federal election. Recent opinion polls show the ruling Liberal Party trailing the Conservative Party by double digits.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stayed in his room at New Delhi’s Lalit Hotel after an Airbus plane had trouble, amid a bitter freeze in relations between India and Canada. India said on Sunday that “extremist elements are carrying out anti-India activities in Canada” ahead of separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) planning a “Khalistan referendum” at a gurdwara in British Columbia. They issued a succinct statement expressing their “strong concerns about continuing.”
The referendum came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Trudeau his strong concerns that anti-India elements are promoting secessionism from mainland Canada and inciting violence against diplomats. .
The exercise was held at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara, which SFJ leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar led before he was gunned down on June 18. This was the latest in a series of moves in Canada that have hurt bilateral relations.
Gurpatwant Singh Panun, founder of the banned SFJ and a designated terrorist, attended the referendum.
During bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Summit in New Delhi on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi told Trudeau that mutual respect and trust are essential for progress in bilateral relations.
Militants held pro-Khalistan rallies in Canada and targeted Indian diplomatic facilities and officials. A rally float praised former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin.