Canadian PM Justin Trudeau refused India's offer to fly him back

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau refused New Delhi's offer to avail India's official aircraft, Air India One, to fly back home after snag in his aircraft kept him waiting here.

This offer was made 24 hours before Trudeau's eventual departure, source said. Canadian officials conveyed regret six hours after the offer and said they will wait for their plane. Trudeau finally left on Tuesday afternoon after the arrival of his replacement flight.

Trudeau uses a jet that has faced problems earlier too and lacks some of the facilities the other heads of state get when flying overseas, ET has learnt.

The aircraft that Trudeau uses for official trips belongs to the military and has been in use since the early 1990s, people aware of the matter said. The plane has no WiFi facility and phone charging points are provided through power cords running along the floor of the aircraft, ET has learnt.

On the inside, the aircraft largely looks like a commercial jet with a cabin in the front section for the prime minister, the people cited earlier said, adding that the jet is not fuel efficient and has a limited range, requiring most overseas trips to have multiple stops for refuelling.

The facilities appear outdated when compared with the jets used by the other PMs and Presidents, particularly those of the G7 nations.

The plane that brought Trudeau to India has faced a string of mechanical problems earlier, including a flap issue in October 2016, people in the know said. In 2018, the aircraft's sensor had faltered when Trudeau was on his way to India, leading to a refuelling stop in Europe that lasted for three hours. In 2019, the plane suffered structural damages.