Zero fuel plane 'Solar Impulse-2' takes off for Varanasi after extended stopover in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: The world's only solar-powered aircraft 'Solar Impulse-2' today took off for Varanasi from Ahmedabad after a week's stopover in the city as part of its round-the-world trip.

The take-off was delayed by nearly two hours due to customs issues. The 'no-fuel', purely solar-powered aircraft was earlier scheduled to fly at 5.30 am.

Earlier, the SI-2 team had postponed departure from its scheduled date on March 15 due to bad weather conditions. Later, it was scheduled for departure on March 17, which was extended by one more day until today.

The globe-trotting SI-2 landed at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on March 10, around 15 hours after it took off from Muscat.

Andre Borschberg, the project's co-founder and pilot, besides its co-pilot as well as president Bertrand Piccard had spent more than a week in the city.

The aircraft began its journey on March 9 from Abu Dhabi. Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard had flown the plane from Muscat to Ahmedabad, while his co-pilot Borschbergh today flew the solar-powered aircraft to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

From Varanasi, the SI-2 is scheduled to fly to Mandalay in Myanmar, Chongqing and Nanjing in China and thereafter to the USA.