Looks like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his team got an unexpected extended stay in India! After wrapping up at the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 10, 2023, they were all set to head back to Canada. But, you won't believe it, their plane, the Airbus CC-150 Polaris (known by its snazzy code name 15001), had a hiccup.
Trudeau's team shared with Radio Canada that just when they got to the airport, they found out that their plane was feeling a bit under the weather with some tech issues. And these weren't the kind that could be patched up quickly. Trudeau had only just landed in India for the summit on September 9th, and now they had to wait for a solution.
To help out, another plane from the Polaris series, the 15002, was dispatched from the Canadian Forces Base in Ontario. Although it was initially supposed to land in Rome, it took a little detour and stopped in London. As of the last update, that plane was still chilling in London.
AeroTime tried to get some insights from the Canadian Prime Minister's Office and the Air Force, but we're still waiting to hear back.
A Bit About the Polaris Planes
The Polaris planes, stationed at the Canadian Forces Base in Ontario, have had their moments. They started as commercial planes for Wardair, a Canadian airline, back in the late '80s. They then joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1992, serving various roles.
The very first one, our 15001, got some cool nicknames - “Can Force One” and the “Taj Mahal”, thanks to former PM Jean Chrétien.
While two of these planes are used for regular troop and cargo missions, two others got a massive upgrade and can refuel other aircraft mid-air. Cool, right? But, like everything, they've had their ups and downs. One had an "oops" moment in 2019 when it got damaged in Ontario and needed a significant fix. Then, in 2023, another had a fender bender with a French plane in Guam.
Given these adventures, Canada decided it was time for a change. They've signed a hefty deal with Airbus Defence and Space to get some brand-new planes and also upgrade some existing ones. We're looking forward to the arrival of the new CC-330 Husky planes in the Canadian Air Force by 2027.
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