Canada's PM stuck in India after aircraft breaks down

September 10, 2023 / 9:07 PM

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a press conference after the closing session of the G20 summit in New Delhi

Sharjah 24 – AFP: 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 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 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 AFP 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.