Crisis-hit Go First airline extended the cancellation of flight operations till June 22 owing to “operational reasons”.
New Delhi: Crisis-hit Go First airline extended the cancellation of flight operations till June 22 owing to “operational reasons”. In a statement, Go First said, “We regret to inform that due to operational reasons, Go First flights scheduled till June 22 have been cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the flight cancellations.”
“We acknowledge the flight cancellations might have disrupted your travel plans and we are committed to providing all the assistance we can,” Go First said further.
“As you are aware, the company has filed an application for immediate resolution and revival of operations. We will be able to resume booking shortly. We thank you for your patience.”
In a major blow to its passengers, the low-cost airline stopped flying on May 3 and is undergoing voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
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The DGCA said it was not processing such requests after a moratorium on financial obligations and transfer of assets of the crisis-hit airline post insolvency resolution proceedings.
“Why is there a distinction? There are 7-8 petitions and each one of them has a different response. Why so?” Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju asked the aviation regulator’s counsel Anjana Gosain as to why different responses were sent to different lessors on repossession requests.
The court further asked the counsel to produce the documents in relation to each petitioner lessor.
During the previous hearing, the lessors had said it is “illegitimate” of the DGCA to deny deregistration.
The lessors’ contention is that Go First has no right to use their aircraft as the leases concerning them have been terminated.
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The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on May 22 upheld the insolvency proceedings against Go First in a setback to efforts of its lessors to repossess their aircraft.
Upholding the NCLT’s May 10 order, the appeals tribunal disposed of the lessors’ petition and asked them to file an appeal before the NCLT. The airline had approached the NCLT “due to the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney’s International Aero Engines, which has resulted in Go First (airline brand) having to ground 25 aircraft (equivalent to approximately 50 per cent of its Airbus A320neo aircraft fleet) as of May 1, 2023”, according to a report by news agency IANS.
