Go First Fails To Give DCGA A Specific Timeline For Resumption Of Flights

Go First notified the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday, May 23, that it expects to begin flying operations as soon as possible but has not specified a firm date or scale.

Information So Far

The airline, which is in insolvency, has responded to the regulator’s show-cause notice, based on which a decision on its licensing will be made.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been told by Go First Airlines that they do not yet have a “definite timeline” for the start of operations.

Before this, the regulator had permanently prohibited Go First from selling tickets without its consent. All flights operated by Go First have been canceled since May 3, the day after declaring bankruptcy.

To reclaim 45 of the airline’s 54 aircraft, lessors contacted the DGCA through the Cape Town Convention. However, because the airline’s IBC case was accepted, it is now protected from having its assets, such as planes and airport slots, taken away.

The DGCA will conduct due diligence to determine if Go First has the necessary financial and human resources to carry out operations safely.

The NCLAT Verdict

In its ruling, NCLAT had instructed the lessors to contact NCLT concerning their claims for possession and other claims about the aircraft whose leases were canceled after the firm filed for insolvency.

The NCLAT rejected the lessors’ arguments in a 40-page common order, stating that lessors are “liberty to file” the proper application before the NCLT by Section 65 of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) with the “appropriate pleadings and material” relevant to their claims.

As per The Times Of India, the Wadia Group carrier entered voluntary insolvency, giving it temporary protection from lessors repossessing their aircraft and from airports denying its slots. This distinguishes Go First from dozens of collapsed airlines, like Kingfisher and Jet.