Trudeau and Canadian delegation stranded in India for at least one more night as backup plans sought
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will remain in India for another night after the government of Canada’s plane was grounded shortly before the delegation’s departure from the G20 summit in New Delhi Sunday.
Senior government sources say the “earliest” departure for the prime minister and the Canadian delegation is late Tuesday afternoon local time.
- Capital Dispatch: Sign up for the latest in federal politics and why it matters
- Top headlines on Canadian politics, all in one place
The prime minister was set to depart New Delhi Sunday night following the G20 summit. However, during pre-flight checks, the Canadian Armed Forces grounded the CFC001 plane due to a technical issue that could not be fixed overnight.
The Department of National Defence (DND) says the maintenance problem involves a component that will have to be replaced.
“The safety of all passengers is critical to the RCAF and pre-flight safety checks are a regular part of all of our flight protocols,” the department wrote in a statement. “The discovery of this issue is evidence that these protocols are effective.”
Sources say that a technician with the part needed to fix the grounded plane is on a commercial flight to India on Tuesday morning. If that part works, and CFC001 can be fixed, sources say the Canadian delegation may be able to depart for Canada sometime Tuesday late afternoon.
“The Canadian Armed Forces continue their best efforts to get the Canadian delegation home,” the prime minister’s Press Secretary Mohammed Hussain wrote in a statement. “Their latest update shows an earliest departure of Tuesday late afternoon. The situation remains fluid.”
If CFC001 cannot be fixed, sources say the government has contingency plans in place but they may not get the prime minister back to Canada as quickly.
The CFC002 Polaris aircraft departed CFB Trenton for India on Sunday night
and is currently in London, U.K. Senior government sources say the backup plane is expected to arrive in India sometime Tuesday.
The government’s smaller Challenger jet is also in London and is able to fly to India if necessary.
The delay returning home means there’s a chance the prime minister will miss at least part of his Liberal Caucus retreat set to start on Wednesday morning.
This isn’t the first time the Airbus has caused problemsfor Trudeau and his delegation.
In October 2016, the aircraft experienced issues and had to return to Ottawa half an hour after taking off with the prime minister, who was heading to Belgium to sign the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
Then, in October 2019 as the VIP plane was being towed into a hangar at 8 Wing Trenton, it rolled into a wall. The crash saw the plane out of service for several months as a result of sustaining “significant structural damage to the nose and right engine cowling,” as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) described it.
In order to take Trudeau to the NATO summit in December 2019, a backup aircraft was used. But, that plane was also grounded in London when the RCAF discovered a problem with one of its engines.
The lifespan of the Polaris fleet, which includes five planes, is expected to end in 2027. According to government officials, extending that timeline any further would be difficult due to the age of the equipment.
The federal government announced in July that it signed a deal worth roughly $3.6 billion to replace the aging fleet.
The updated fleet includes four new and five used aircraft that will be outfitted to feature the same capabilities. The federal government purchased the used planes from a company in Kuwait.
The first of new so-called Husky fleet airplanes arrived in Canada on Aug. 31. The DND says aircrew training among other tasks needs to be completed before the aircraft can be put into service.
The aircraft that arrived in August, which is currently sitting on the tarmac at the Ottawa International Airport with a Government of Canada decal on it, will eventually be used to transport government personnel including the prime minister.
A second Husky aircraft will be grey and arrive in the fall.
DND says the two used CC-330 Husky aircraft are expected to enter into service this fall.
“The current CC-150 Polaris fleet will be retired from service in a phased approach, as the new A330 Husky fleet is integrated and becomes fully operational,” the department of national defence wrote in a statement.
With files from The Canadian Press
IN DEPTH
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6922467.1718138898!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6850735.1713368648!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6973211.1721679351!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
2 Albertans accused of threatening to kill Trudeau, Freeland, Singh
Men from Edmonton and Calgary are accused of threatening to kill some of Canada's top government leaders.
Four suicides in New Zealand linked to Ontario's Kenneth Law
New Zealand's coroner has ruled that four of its citizens died after ordering products from an Ontario man who is facing murder charges for selling poisonous substances.
IN PICTURES Here's what Calgary's new event centre will look like
The name of Calgary’s new event centre was unveiled on Monday. The arena will be called Scotia Place.
Toronto woman charged with voyeurism after taking 'intimate' photos during massage: police
A Toronto woman who allegedly took 'intimate' photos of an individual who was getting a massage has been charged with voyeurism, police say.
Police identify body of man who washed ashore on Nova Scotia's Sable Island
Nova Scotia RCMP has identified one of the bodies found on Sable Island earlier this month.
Ottawa Coun. Matthew Luloff charged with impaired driving
Ottawa Coun. Matthew Luloff is facing a charge of impaired driving, according to his lawyer. The Conservative Party tells CTV News Ottawa that Luloff resigned his candidacy on July 10 'due to a personal matter.'
Athletes show off stylish and expensive team clothing for the 2024 Olympic Games
Canadian athletes attempting to reach the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will also be looking fashionable for the entire world to see.
Kamala Harris endorsement excites Democrats, but what could it mean for Canada?
U.S. President Joe Biden's endorsement of Vice-President Kamala Harris as his possible replacement stirred excitement among Democrats, but one analyst has concerns about what a potential Harris presidency would mean for Canada.
These are the four leading vice-presidential picks for Kamala Harris' campaign
No one knows the importance of selecting the right running mate better than Vice President Kamala Harris.
Local Spotlight
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6971740.1721505533!/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpeg)
'It looks scary, but they're harmless': Bees removed from Winnipeg street light
A swarm of bees living in a lamppost in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek neighbourhood has found a new home for its hive.
'Powerful symbol of the progress we have made': Land being returned to Manitoba Métis Federation
Around 100 acres of Manitoba Crown Land near the Saskatchewan border is being returned to the Métis community.
Cape Breton moose hunting suspended for 3 years due to 'significant' drop in population
Nova Scotia is suspending the licensed Cape Breton moose hunt for three years due to what the province is calling a “significant drop” in the population.
Social media prank could lead to charges after teens allegedly damage homes
A well-known childhood prank known as 'nicky nicky nine doors,' or 'ding dong ditch,' has escalated into a more serious game that could lead to charges for some Surrey, B.C. teens.
Benefit concert to be held for N.B. teen badly injured in 'freak accident'
It's been more than a month since their good friend was seriously hurt in an accident and two teens from Riverview, N.B., are still having a hard time dealing with it.
Here's what happens to rejected Halifax bridge coins
Halifax bridges have collected thousands of coins from around the world.
Video shows B.C. grizzly basking in clawfoot tub
A donated clawfoot bathtub has become the preferred lounging spot for a pair of B.C. grizzly bears, who have been taking turns relaxing and reclining in it – with minimal sibling squabbling – for the past year.
Cemetery 'investigators' connecting families with forgotten gravestones
A pair of cemetery investigators are cleaning and preserving as many gravestones they have permission to work on, as they conduct their research and document gravestones.
'Just so grateful': B.C. man uses Google Lens to reunite woman with lost family heirloom
After more than three years, a B.C. woman has been reunited with a lost family heirloom.