DGCA Says Go First Stopped Operations Without Informing, Issues Notice To Airliner

Go First said it has stopped all flights due to a severe funds shortage and blamed US aviation firm Pratt & Whitney (P&W) for ever-increasing number of failing engines.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 2 May 2023 2:44 pm

Two Go First aircraft have been grounded by DGCA after engine snags

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said Go First airline cancelled all its scheduled flights for Wednesday and Thursday without informing.

The aviation regulatory body has issued a notice to the airliner and asked it to reply within 24 hours, NDTV report said.

The rules state that airlines have to tell the DGCA well in advance if they want to cancel all scheduled flights, otherwise it will be a violation of the Civil Aviation Rules, it mentioned.

"No prior intimation has been given to the DGCA for such cancellations, which is non-compliance with conditions for approval of (flight) schedule. Go First has failed to report in writing the cancellations and the reasons," the report quoted DGCA’s notice.

“Go First today announced it has stopped all flights due to a severe funds shortage and blamed US aviation firm Pratt & Whitney (P&W) for ever-increasing number of failing engines, which has to the airline grounding 25 aircraft or 50 per cent of its Airbus A320neo fleet,” it mentioned.

The Wadia Group-owned airline has also filed for insolvency with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Delhi, the report said.

The DGCA in the notice asked Go First what steps the airline plans to take to ensure passengers who have booked flights for Wednesday and Thursday do not face inconvenience, it added.

Go First in a statement posted on its website said it will refund for the cancelled tickets.

Go First in another statement, the report quoted said: “a Singapore arbitrator ordered P&W to supply at least 10 serviceable spare leased engines by April 27, 2023 and 10 more engines - one each per month - by December this year”.

It also alleged: “But P&W has not followed the order”.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed that the airline has been facing critical supply chain issues with the engines, adding the government has been helping the airline in every possible way, the report said.

"It is unfortunate that this operational bottleneck has dealt a blow to the airline's financial position. It has come to our knowledge that the airline has applied to the NCLT. It is prudent to wait for the judicial process to run its course," the report quoted Scindia as having said.