India Offered 'Air India One' Services To Fly Back Canadian PM Trudeau Amid Departure Delay: Report

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his delegation departed from New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon after an unexpected two-day delay caused by a technical glitch in his special aircraft.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the two-day G20 Summit in New Delhi.

Source : PTI

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his delegation had to stay in India for two more days after their flight encountered technical issues. India reportedly stepped in to offer the services of 'Air India One', the country's official aircraft, to facilitate Trudeau's return to Canada. Upon learning of the delay caused by the glitch in Trudeau's special aircraft, Indian authorities extended the offer to provide an alternative means of transportation news agency ANI reported citing sources. However, the Canadian side declined this offer and opted to wait for the backup aircraft, it said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his delegation departed from New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon after an unexpected two-day delay caused by a technical glitch in his special aircraft. Trudeau had initially arrived in India for the G20 Summit on Friday but found himself stranded in the national capital due to the Airbus plane's malfunction on Sunday night.

During Trudeau's departure, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and Information Technology, expressed gratitude to the Canadian Prime Minister for his participation in the G20 Summit on behalf of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

CBC News reported that Trudeau continued working from his New Delhi hotel amid the delay. The Royal Canadian Air Force dispatched a CC-150 Polaris aircraft from CFB Trenton to India on Sunday night to pick up Trudeau and the Canadian delegation. Canada's National Defence clarified that the issue at hand involved a part that required replacement.

Aside from his participation in the G20 Summit, Trudeau also engaged in bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Summit in New Delhi. 

During their conversation, PM Modi asserted, that a relationship based on 'mutual respect and trust' was essential for the progress of India-Canada relationship.

"The Prime Minister highlighted that India-Canada relations are anchored in shared democratic values, respect for rule of law and strong people-to-people ties," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

"He conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship," it stated.