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

An Air India flight carrying India’s Asian Games shooting team was unexpectedly diverted to Jaipur on Sunday morning due to a technical problem shortly after departing from Bhopal. The flight, AI1886, comprised seven shooters, four coaches, and four support staff, who had taken off from Bhopal’s Raja Bhoj Airport at 8:36 AM IST. The aircraft was originally scheduled to arrive in Delhi at 9:40 AM, but the diversion occurred approximately “10-15 minutes after take-off.”

Upon landing in Jaipur at around 9:40 AM, passengers were informed of the diversion. The group spent almost two hours on the aircraft before being removed. Air India provided road transport for the passengers heading to Delhi; however, the shooting contingent requested separate transportation due to their possession of weapons and luggage. The squad departed Jaipur at around 1 PM in a bus and a car, ultimately reaching the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi by 6:30 PM.

Air India reassured that the aircraft landed safely in Jaipur and was undergoing necessary checks in accordance with its safety protocols. India’s 30-member shooting contingent had been undergoing training in Bhopal in preparation for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which commence on September 19. The shooters had been traveling to Delhi in batches, with plans to depart for Japan on Tuesday as preparation for the Games continues.

The shooting event itself will take place from September 17 to October 3 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota City, Japan.