Get DGCA permit, says NRAI

Bengaluru: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has instructed rifle shooters travelling to Thiruvananthapuram for the National Shooting Championships later this month to carry permit letters from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure that airlines don’t offload them for carrying arms and ammunition.

Acutely aware of incidents of airlines refusing to oblige shooters without ‘proper permits’, the NRAI recently issued an advisory asking the participants to avoid a leading airline before making an immediate U-turn.

“All the shooters participating in the 65th National Shooting Championship being held at Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) from November 20 to December 9 are hereby advised to avoid travel through the said airline,” the NRAI said in a message to the participants. “As per the information received from DGCA, there may be a problem for carrying arms and ammunition through this airline,” it added.