Soon after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) cleared Go First to resume operations, the airline launched first ‘handling’ flight from Mumbai on Tuesday. Airlines handle flights when aircraft are grounded for an extended period of time.
Airlines are required by the DGCA to conduct handling flights to ensure that the aircraft are operationally ready.
The DGCA provisionally cleared the grounded airline Go First to begin operations on Friday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that Go First may restart planned flight operations if temporary money is available and the flight schedule is approved by the regulator.
The authority has granted permission for 15 aircraft and 114 daily flights.
Furthermore, the DGCA has ordered the airline to comply with all “applicable regulatory requirements, ensure the continued airworthiness of the aircraft engaged in operations, and subjecting every aircraft to a satisfactory handling flight prior to deployment for flight operations.”
According to the DGCA, ticket sales can only begin after the regulator has approved the flight schedule.
On May 2, Go First cancelled its flights and filed for voluntary bankruptcy with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), blaming Pratt & Whitney, a US-based engine manufacturer, for its inability to meet obligations on time, resulting in the grounding of a portion of its fleet.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) issued a moratorium and named an Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) on May 10. The Committee of Creditors (CoC) then designated Shailendra Ajmera as the Resolution Professional (RP) for Go First on June 9, which was later confirmed by the NCLT.
The airline employs roughly 4,200 people and reported total income from operations of Rs. 4,183 crore in fiscal year 2021-22.
