Go First cancels all flights until May 9th

After announcing that it has cancelled all flights for 4 and 5 May, cash-strapped airline Go First has now extended the suspension of its operations by another four days to 9 May. Furthermore, the airline is not taking any new bookings until 15 May.

Citing operational reasons, Go First stated that it was cancelling all flights until 9 May and that a full refund will be issued to affected passengers. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also directed the airline to process refunds to passengers within timelines stipulated in the regulations.

The airline announced that it was filing for voluntary insolvency proceedings with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday, putting the blame on engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney (P&W), the exclusive supplier of engines for A320neos, for its financial turmoil.

The airline stated that it was “forced to apply to the NCLT” after “the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney’s International Aero Engines” which has led to the grounding of 25 aircraft (approximately 50 per cent of Go First’s Airbus A320neo fleet).

In its statement, Go First said that P&W refused to comply with an award issued by an emergency arbitrator appointed in accordance with the 2016 arbitration rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), which directed Pratt & Whitney to take all reasonable steps to release and dispatch at least 10 serviceable spare leased engines by 27 April 2023, to Go First, along with ten spare leased engines every month until December 2023.

Had P&W complied with the orders, Go First would be able to return to full operations by August to September 2023, the company stated.