1.1469849-33885118
Crew members gather to push the Solar Impulse 2 towards a hangar after it landed at an airport in Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Image Credit: AP

Ahmadabad:  A Swiss-made solar powered aircraft has landed in western India, completing the second leg of its historic round-the-world trip.

The Solar Impulse 2 touched down Tuesday at Ahmadabad airport in Gujarat state, about 16 hours after it took off from Muscat, Oman.

The world's first aircraft powered by solar energy was to remain in Ahmadabad for two days before flying to the holy city of Varanasi in northern India on Saturday.

The Swiss pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Boschberg, will take turns at the controls of the aircraft during their 35,000-kilometer (21,700-mile) journey.

The five-month long trip intends to highlight the importance of renewable energy.

The aircraft's wings are covered by more than 17,000 solar cells that recharge the plane's batteries. It flies ideally at around 25 knots, or 45 kph (28 mph).