Solar Impulse-2 takes off for Varanasi from Ahmedabad

The world's only 'zero-fuel' aircraft 'Solar Impulse-2' on Wednesday took off from Ahmedabad for the holy city of Varanasi as a part of its round-the-world trip.

Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg flew the aircraft from Ahmedabad at 7.18 am local time.

The flight was delayed by about two hours from its scheduled departure, said a press release from the SI-2 team.

"Andre Borschberg and Si2 are airborne in India, flying from Ahmedabad to Varanasi, entirely Powered By The Sun", SI-2 team said in a tweet on Wednesday.

"The tent hosting Si2 in Ahmedabad is now empty and the solar airplane on its way to Varanasi", it further tweeted.

The globe-trotting SI-2 landed at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on March 10 , after a nearly 15-hour flight from Muscat.

Borschberg, the project's co-founder, and co-pilot and project President Bertrand Piccard spent over a week in the city during the plane's stopover here.

The aircraft began its journey on March 9 from Abu Dhabi.

Swiss pilot Piccard had flown the plane from Muscat to Ahmedabad, while Borschberg on Wednesday flew the world's first 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 US.