Ahmedabad (India) (AFP) - A pilot who is trying to make history by flying a solar-powered plane around the world launched an angry attack on Indian bureaucracy on Wednesday after a lengthy hold-up in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state.
Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss pilot of Solar Impulse 2, said the aircraft's take-off from Ahmedabad city in the western state of Gujarat was delayed by five days because of tedious paperwork.
The plane landed in Ahmedabad last Tuesday from the Omani capital Muscat after completing an initial sea crossing in its epic bid to become the first plane to fly around the world solely powered by the sun.
"The delay is (because of) of administration, papers, stamps," Piccard told reporters before the plane finally took off from Ahmedabad airport on Wednesday morning.
More details here.
