Confusion and mismanagement by Akasa Air staff at Pune airport on Tuesday evening left six out of seven young shooters from Maharashtra stranded, forcing them to miss their flight to Goa for the Western Zone Junior (U-18) Shooting Championship. The chaos has now placed their participation in the crucial national-level event in serious doubt.

The athletes, all under 18 and already proven performers at the state level, were scheduled to travel on Akasa Air flight QP-1143 to Goa, departing at 5:25 pm. They had reached the airport by 2:30 pm, three hours before departure, armed with all necessary documents, including IDs, licences, and competition invitations. Yet, after hours of back-and-forth over procedures, they were not allowed to board.

Parents and coaches accompanying the team said the problem started when Akasa Air ground staff gave conflicting instructions on how the shooters’ rifles and ammunition should be handled.

“At first, they said the rifles should go into check-in and ammunition separately. Later they insisted the ammunition must be carried inside the rifle case as hand baggage. And after that, they again changed their stance, asking us to check in both the rifles and the ammunition,” recalled Atul Kshirsagar, father of one of the participants, Rudra. “By the time this confusion ended, the counter was closed, and the flight had left.”

As per DGCA rules, firearms and ammunition must be packed in registered check-in baggage, with verification by the airline’s station manager. Parents said they repeatedly pointed this out, but the staff kept changing their version of what was allowed.

The delays stretched for nearly three hours, with additional hold-ups at security due to the airline’s lack of clarity. Ultimately, six shooters were left behind. Only one participant, Manava Kadam, managed to board the flight, but her shooting kit, including the rifle and gear, was left behind in Pune, putting her performance at risk as well.

“We had all the documents ready and were following the rules, but the staff kept changing their instructions. Because of this mismanagement, we missed our flight,” said Rudra Kshirsagar, one of the shooters. “Our competition starts Wednesday, and now we don’t know how we will make it.”

Coach Nupur Hagawane Patil said the situation left the teenagers stressed, stranded, and in tears at Pune airport late into the night. “These are promising athletes who earned the chance to compete at the zonal championship. Their dreams should not be jeopardised because of airline negligence,” she said. “The staff at Akasa Air were not clear on the rules, and that cost these children their chance to compete.”

The Western Zone Junior Shooting Championship is a significant national event with participants from five states. Missing the opening round on Wednesday could mean automatic disqualification, effectively ending the shooters’ chance to compete at the national level this year.

In a statement, Akasa Air acknowledged the incident but attributed the problem to “extended security procedures involving specialised equipment.”

“A team of professional rifle shooters booked on Akasa Air flight QP 1143 scheduled to operate from Pune to Goa on September 16 were regrettably unable to board due to extended security procedures involving their baggage which contained specialised shooting equipment. Our on-ground teams are providing them with assistance, and alternate travel arrangements are being organised. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” the airline said.

However, families and coaches insist the issue was not extended security checks but poor coordination and negligence on the airline’s part. “If the staff had given consistent instructions at the start, the athletes would have boarded on time. This confusion cost us the flight,” said one parent.

By late Tuesday night, arrangements were being made to put the athletes on an IndiGo flight early Wednesday morning, raising hopes they could still make it to Goa in time.