DELHI, OTTAWA- During the first half of this year, there was a 9.12% year-on-year decrease in air passenger traffic between India and Canada, with a total of 347,527 passengers. This decline was mainly attributed to Air Canada (AC), which operated 35% fewer flights due to the ban on Russian airspace.
The ban on Russian airspace was a response to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, which began in February 2022. Canada swiftly imposed restrictions on Russian aircraft from using its airspace, and Russia reciprocated by banning Canadian aircraft from its airspace.
India Canada Tension
The shortest flight path between India and Canada goes through Russian airspace. Consequently, Air Canada had to take longer routes to travel between India and Canada.
Air Canada made strategic changes to its services to adapt to these airspace restrictions. This included the suspension of the Delhi-Vancouver flight and a reduction in the frequency of its Delhi-Montreal and Delhi-Toronto flights to accommodate the altered flight paths.
In contrast, Air India continued to utilize Russian airspace, allowing it to increase its flight services to Canada. During the first half of 2023, Air India expanded its India-Canada flight offerings by 40% compared to the previous year.
Canadian PM Aircraft Delay
Recently, during the G20 Summit, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-150 Polaris, en route to New Delhi, was diverted from its planned route through Rome and instead redirected to London. The specific reason for this diversion has not been disclosed.
As per the report, the CC-150 Polaris may not depart from London until Tuesday morning, local time. Additionally, a separate team, including a technician carrying a replacement part, has been dispatched to Delhi as a contingency measure.
However, according to reports, if neither the Airbus plane nor the replacement flight becomes available, Trudeau and his delegation may need to return to Canada on another aircraft.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the G20 Summit and was welcomed by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Canadian delegation had initially planned to return on Sunday.
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