Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's substitute plane to India diverted to London

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) A substitute plane dispatched from Canada to fly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has been stranded in New Delhi since September 10 due to a technical snag in his aircraft, has been diverted to London, causing further delays in his departure, reports said.

Trudeau was in New Delhi to attended the G20 Leaders' Summit on September 9-10.

The reports said that no explanation was given for the unexpected rerouting of the CC-150 Polaris aircraft dispatched by the Royal Canadian Air Force to New Delhi, despite its intended route via Rome.

In case the Airbus plane used by Trudeau complies with air safety regulations, he may choose to return aboard it.

However, if neither the original aircraft nor the replacement becomes available, another plane will be arranged to take him and his entourage home. 

The aircraft that Trudeau typically uses is 34-years-old and has experienced issues previously.

In October 2016, it had to return to Ottawa just half an hour after departing for Belgium.

Subsequently, it was out of service for 16 months.

When Trudeau attended the NATO summit in London in December 2019, a backup aircraft was grounded.

An email sent to the Canadian Prime Minister's office seeking details about his travel plans remained unanswered by the time of filing this report.