Canada’s Trudeau stuck in India after aircraft breaks down

NEW DELHI: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his entire delegation were forced to extend their stay in New Delhi for the G20 summit by an extra day on Sunday when his aircraft broke down, Canadian officials confirmed.

Trudeau arrived in India for the meeting of the leaders of 20 leading economies on Friday.

He was due to return home on Sunday after laying a wreath at a memorial to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, but a mechanical fault kept him in India overnight. The Canadian High Commission in New Delhi referred to a statement from Trudeau’s office, saying that the Canadian air force, which operates the plane, had informed the delegation it “was experiencing technical difficulties”.

“These issues are not fixable overnight, our delegation will be staying in India until alternative arrangements are made,” it added. Canada’s CTV identified the plane as an Airbus, saying it was not clear when it would be able to return, adding it “isn’t the first time” it had had problems.

Trudeau’s presence at the G20 summit was lower-key than some of his G7 counterparts, and came against a backdrop of tensions between his government and host India over Ottawa’s handling of rightwing Sikh separatists. New Delhi accuses Ottawa of turning a blind eye to the activities of radical Sikh nationalists who seek a separate Sikh homeland in northern India.