Govt assisting Go First, 'prudent to wait for judicial process to run its course': Aviation minister

As crisis-hit Go First airline filed for insolvency and cancelled flights for May 3rd and May 4th, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government has been assisting the airline in every possible manner. Faced with a severe financial crunch as more than half of its fleet is grounded due to the non-availability of Pratt & Whitney engines, Go First on Tuesday filed for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the NCLT

"Go First has been faced with critical supply chain issues with regard to its engines. The issue has also been taken up with the stakeholders involved. Yet, it is unfortunate that this operational bottleneck has dealt a blow to the airline’s financial position," the aviation minister said. "It is prudent to wait for the judicial process to run its course."

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA has issued a notice to the airline on the sudden suspension of flights. It is incumbent upon the airline to make alternative travel arrangements for passengers, so that inconvenience is minimal, the minister said.


Press Trust of India citing a senior government official said the ministry is keeping a close watch on the developments related to Go First, including the admission of the airline's application by the NCLT.

The country's civil aviation sector is strong and growing but the external issue of global supply chain disruptions is a primary reason for the Go First situation, the official said.

Go First, which has been flying for more than 17 years, carried 29.11 lakh domestic passengers in the first quarter of this year and its market share during this period was 7.8%.

In a statement the airline said: "Go First has had to take this step due to the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney’s International Aero Engines, LLC, which has resulted in Go First having to ground 25 aircraft (equivalent to approximately 50% of its Airbus A320neo
aircraft fleet) as of 1 May 2023. The percentage of grounded aircraft due to Pratt & Whitney’s faulty engines has grown from 7% in December 2019 to 31% in December 2020 to 50% in December 2022. This is despite Pratt & Whitney making several on-going assurances over the years, which it has repeatedly failed to meet."