Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally flew out of India after a technical glitch with his plane that left him and his delegation stranded in New Delhi for two days was resolved, according to people familiar with the matter.
(Bloomberg) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally flew out of India after a technical glitch with his plane that left him and his delegation stranded in New Delhi for two days was resolved, according to people familiar with the matter.
Trudeau left the Indian capital in the afternoon after his A310 jet got clearance to fly from the authorities, said Indian officials familiar with the matter, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
A flight tracking website confirmed that Trudeau has flown out of India. His jet, operated by Royal Canadian Air Force, took off from New Delhi at 1:10 p.m. local time and is traveling to Rome, according to Flightradar24.
Trudeau was in India for the Group of Twenty Summit, which ended on Sunday. Even before his plane broke down, his visit to the South Asian country wasn’t looking favorable.
During the leaders’ summit, he was criticized by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly allowing the “anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada,” a reference to Sikh groups that advocate for an independent homeland known as Khalistan.
Mohammad Hussain, Trudeau’s press secretary, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. He earlier said the Canadian delegation was expected to leave India this afternoon.
Trudeau Awaits Backup Jet After Breakdown Strands Him in India
This is not the first time Trudeau had a difficult trip in India. His first visit in 2018 became a diplomatic disaster after it emerged that a man who had been convicted of attempting to assassinate an Indian politician on Canadian soil somehow ended up on Canada’s guest list for an event.
The Airbus A310s carrying Trudeau and other top Canadian officials abroad date back to the 1980s and are badly showing their age. They are so old they require refueling stops for Trudeau’s trips to Asia, often with stopovers in Alaska and Japan before reaching their final destination.
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