Canada said on Friday that an aircraft was sent this week to Jamaica to address and fix a maintenance issue with the plane that took Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a visit to the Caribbean, as reported by news agency Reuters. After the aircraft was sent, it became possible for Trudeau to fly back home. Trudeau was able to return home on the original plane, a spokesperson for Canada's defence department said.
It is the second such instance of an aircraft glitch that occurred with the Canadian PM. Trudeau's departure from India in September 2023 was delayed by a couple of days after a G20 summit. "We can confirm two Royal Canadian Air Force CC-144 Challengers were in Jamaica supporting transport for the prime minister," the spokesperson said, as quoted by Reuters.
On Tuesday, the maintenance issue was uncovered after an inspection, before Trudeau’s departure date, the spokesperson further stated. A maintenance team and aircraft were sent to the island to restore the craft to service the next day.
Earlier in September, 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.
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.