Go First Airline, the cash-strapped domestic airline has cancelled all its flights from May 3 to May 5, and filed an application of voluntary insolvency proceedings with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The airline has blamed engine maker from the United States, Pratt & Whitney for not provided necessary engines on time, resulting in grounding of half of its fleet. With planes not flying, Go First incurred heavy losses, as per the airline, and hence has to file for a bankruptcy. The announcement was made on Tuesday and flights from today stands cancelled.
This has left thousands of passengers stranded, in the middle of nowhere. Go Air was operating at least 200 flights a day, with 25 aircrafts and all were Airbus A320 planes, with a capacity of 180-190 passengers. With a load factor of 90 percent, Go First was flying at least 35,000-40,000 passengers per day, all of which are looking for an alternate option to fly on these dates.
Due to operational reasons, GoFirst flights for 3rd, 4th and 5th May 2023 have been cancelled. We sincerely apologise to our loyal customers. Please visit https://t.co/qRNQ4oQROr for more information. We assure that we’ll be back with more information soon. #GoFirst pic.twitter.com/QAJlL017QS
— GO FIRST (@GoFirstairways) May 2, 2023
However, the good thing is, unlike many airlines who credit the booking amount as points that can only be used for re booking the ticket with the same airline, Go First has announced a full refund to the passengers. Also, one doesn't need to apply for a refund as the money of all travellers flying between May 3-5 will automatically be credited in the source account used at the time of booking the flight.
In a tweet, Go First stated that "Due to operational reasons, GoFirst flights for 3rd, 4th and 5th May 2023 have been cancelled. We sincerely apologise to our loyal customers. We assure that we’ll be back with more information soon."
It further stated that "A full refund will be issued through the original mode of payment shortly." One can contact the toll-free numbers of Go First at 1800 2100 999 or +91 22 68968300 for further assistance.
In the other news, Go First reported zero Passenger complaints and the lowest cancellation rate in the first three months of 2023. "In January, there were zero passenger complaints against the airline, and it had just 0.05 percent cancellation rate. In February, passenger complaints were zero, and the cancellation rate was 0.04 percent. In March, the cancellation rate was 0.04 percent, and passenger complaints were zero," DGCA in its report said.
"In January, Go First has a passenger load factor of 90.9 per cent, which increases to 93.1 per cent in February. Although departures decreased from 6,242 in January to 5619 in February," it added.
"Go First is facing financial crunch due to non-supply of engines by US-based jet engines manufacturer Pratt and Whitney (P&W) that has forced grounding more than 50 planes," a Go First official told ANI.
