In order to avoid inconvenience to travelling public of the capital, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday flew by an IAF helicopter from Safdarjung Airport to the Indira Gandhi International Airport to depart for his nine-day trip to UK and the US.
This was done to avoid causing traffic snarls at major roads of the capital, official sources said.
As a consequence, the formal departure ceremony was held at his official residence at 7, Race Course Road, instead of the IGI Airport.
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Singh had used the same route when he had gone on his first official visit abroad in July to attend the BIMST-EC summit in Bangkok. At that time due to lack of information, some Union ministers had reached the airport to bid him farewell.
At today's ceremony, among those present were UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Arjun Singh, Shivraj Patil, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ram Vilas Paswan, Chandrasekhar Rao, Santosh Mohan Deb, S Jaipal Reddy, Kapil Sibal, T R Baalu, P R Kyndiah, Sis Ram Ola and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
The three service chiefs and top officials were also present.