- Trudeau’s Departure Delayed by Aircraft Technical Issue
- Strained Canada-India Relations and Contentious Meeting
- Aircraft Troubles: Not the First for Trudeau
After a two-day extension due to a technical issue with his aircraft, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has departed the Indian capital.
He was scheduled to fly on Sunday following the conclusion of the G20 summit, but a humiliating mechanical issue prevented him from taking off.
After Mr. Trudeau’s tense meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his domestic opponents and Indian social media users ridiculed him for the delay.
In recent months, Canada-India relations have become increasingly strained.
Tuesday’s issue of India Today reported that Mr. Trudeau’s visit “did nothing to thaw the icy ties he’s developed with India.”
Days before his flight to Delhi, Mr. Trudeau unexpectedly suspended trade deal negotiations with India.
Protests by Canada’s substantial Sikh population have been a significant source of tension. India is concerned about the activities of Sikh separatists. However, it denies involvement in the June assassination of a prominent Sikh independence advocate in British Columbia.
According to his office, in a meeting with Mr. Trudeau on Sunday, Mr. Modi expressed concern over the “continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada” and stated that they were promoting secessionism and inciting violence.
In the meantime, Mr. Trudeau’s staff reported that the Canadian prime minister “emphasized the significance of respecting the rule of law, democratic principles, and national sovereignty.”
At a press conference, Mr. Trudeau said that he and Mr. Modi discussed foreign intervention in Canadian affairs.
Canada has included India in its comprehensive investigation into election interference, which also includes China and Russia.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu hosted a weekend dinner for foreign leaders, but the Canadian prime minister did not come. His administration did not explain why. Some observers believed he was hasty in avoiding a salutation with Mr. Modi.
It is unclear how he spent the last two days. Since he had no diplomatic duties, media reports suggest he spent the time at his hotel.
Mr. Trudeau and the Indian government have not commented publicly on his delayed departure home.
Mr. Modi’s government sent a minister to wish him and his entourage “a safe trip back home” and goodbye.
On Monday, Canada’s Department of National Defence informed that Mr. Trudeau’s aircraft, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-150 Polaris with the tail number ’01’, experienced a “maintenance problem” caused by a “component that will need to be replaced.”
“The safety of all passengers is of the utmost importance to the RCAF, and pre-flight safety checks are an integral part of our flight procedures,” the statement continued. “The discovery of this issue is evidence that these protocols are effective.”
The Department of defence announced that a replacement aircraft would be dispatched to India to retrieve Mr. Trudeau.
According to the Toronto Star, the RCAF dispatched a technician to India who was able to resolve the problem. A fleet of CC-150 Polaris aircraft has encountered troubles and will be replaced soon, according to the article.
This is not the first occasion that Mr. Trudeau has experienced flight-related difficulties.
Journalists collided with a campaign-route charter plane in 2019. During that time, he was not aboard the aircraft.
