Air India flight, carrying Asian Games-bound shooters, diverted due to a technical issue

Dubai: An Air India flight carrying members of India’s Asian Games shooting contingent was diverted to Jaipur on Sunday morning after developing a technical issue shortly after take-off from Bhopal.

Seven shooters, four coaches and four support staff were onboard flight AI1886, which departed Bhopal’s Raja Bhoj Airport at 8:36 AM IST and was scheduled to reach Delhi at 9:40 AM.

However, the flight was diverted to Jaipur after the technical issue was reported. A member of the shooting contingent told Hindustan Times that the announcement was made around “10-15 minutes after take-off.”

“We landed in Jaipur at around 9:40 am. We were in the flight for almost two hours before we were taken out,” the contingent member said.

Air India arranged road transport for passengers travelling to Delhi. However, the shooters requested separate transport because they were carrying their weapons and luggage.

“We had to carry our weapons and luggage. A bus and a car were provided to us and we started from Jaipur at around 1pm,” the squad member said. The group eventually reached the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi at around 6:30 PM.

Air India said the aircraft landed safely in Jaipur and was undergoing checks in line with its safety standards.

India’s 30-member shooting contingent has been training in Bhopal ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which begin on September 19. The shooters have been travelling to Delhi in batches and are scheduled to leave for Japan on Tuesday as preparations continue for the Games.

The shooting event will commence from September 17 and continue until October 3 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota City, Japan.