Air India flight carrying Asian Games shooters diverted to Jaipur after technical issue
Seven Indian shooters bound for the Asian Games in Japan were delayed for hours after their Air India flight from Bhopal developed a technical problem shortly after takeoff, forcing a diversion to Jaipur before the group completed their journey to Delhi by road.
Claire Bennett
Flight Diverted Shortly After Takeoff
Members of India's shooting contingent for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan faced significant travel disruptions on Sunday when their Air India flight was diverted due to a technical issue minutes after departure from Bhopal.
Flight AI1886, carrying seven shooters, four coaches and four support staff, departed Raja Bhoj Airport at 8:36 AM IST with an expected arrival time of 9:40 AM in Delhi. However, approximately 10 to 15 minutes into the flight, the crew announced a technical problem and diverted the aircraft to Jaipur.
The plane landed safely in Jaipur at around 9:40 AM, where passengers remained onboard for nearly two hours before disembarking. Air India arranged bus transport for passengers continuing to Delhi, but the shooting contingent requested separate arrangements due to their weapons and equipment.
Nine-Hour Journey to Delhi
A member of the contingent confirmed that the group departed Jaipur by bus and car at approximately 1:00 PM, eventually reaching the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi at 6:30 PM—nine hours after their original departure from Bhopal.
Air India stated that the aircraft landed safely in Jaipur and was undergoing checks in accordance with the airline's safety standards.
India's Shooting Contingent for Asian Games
The 72-acre Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, originally constructed for the 1982 Asian Games and rebuilt for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, serves as India's premier shooting training facility. The delayed contingent members are part of India's 30-member shooting squad—15 men and 15 women—utilizing the maximum allocation permitted by the Asian Games Organizing Committee. The team comprises 12 shotgun shooters and 18 rifle and pistol specialists.
India's shooting team has been training in Bhopal ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which begin on September 19 and run through October 4. The Games will feature 43 sports with over 15,000 athletes competing in 469 events across 45 countries and regions. This marks the third time Japan has hosted the Summer Asian Games, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994—32 years since the country last welcomed the event.
Competition Schedule and Expectations
The shooters are travelling to Delhi in batches and are scheduled to depart for Japan on Tuesday. Shooting competitions will commence on September 17 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota City, a comprehensive facility built in 1993 that features both clay shooting ranges and rifle and pistol ranges recently renovated for the Games. Events will continue until October 3.
India's shooting contingent carries high expectations following an unprecedented performance at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where the team captured 22 medals—seven gold, nine silver and six bronze—making shooting one of the country's most successful sports at the Games. The 2026 Asian Games also serve as an Olympic qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with direct quota spots and ranking points at stake across various sports.
The incident comes at a time when Air India remains under heightened scrutiny following the June 2025 crash of Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. That incident remains under investigation.
