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While most Canadians have experienced their share of air travel hassles, the Prime Minister is generally safe from sudden flight plan changes.
However, recent damage to Justin Trudeau’s prime ministerial jet forced him to use a backup plane to travel to London for a NATO summit and on Wednesday that backup jet was grounded.
After flying overseas, a post-flight inspection revealed the CC-150 Polaris, borrowed from Gov. Gen. Julie Payette who’s in Italy on her own tour, has its own engine problem.
That means Trudeau is on his third-string flying option while another plane will have to be found to bring Payette home.
It’s another moment in what's been a year of bad luck for the prime ministerial jet.
On the first day of the election campaign, the chartered Liberal plane was knocked out of service after being clipped by a media bus driving under its wing.
A replacement plane was organized for the campaign, but not before Trudeau was criticized by his opponents for using two planes.
Trudeau is normally transported in a Polaris CC-15001, an aircraft fitted out to carry VIPs.
However, once dubbed a “flying Taj Mahal,” the 32-year-old aircraft and has been plagued with mechanical problems.
With files from the Canadian Press.