Go First can take off again, but DGCA has a few conditions

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved Go First's revival proposal, although it comes with specific terms and conditions. Go First, facing financial difficulties, ceased its operations on May 3 this year, despite having been in service for over 17 years.

Following their announcement of flight cancellations and the plan to file for insolvency due to ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine issues on their Airbus A320 NEO aircraft, Go First faced a challenging situation.

However, on May 10, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) imposed a moratorium and appointed an Interim Resolution Professional (IRP). Later, on June 15, the Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved Shailendra Ajmera as the Resolution Professional (RP) for Go First.

Approval of the resumption plan

• In response to the dire circumstances, Ajmera presented a comprehensive resumption plan to the DGCA on 28th June 2023.
• The plan outlined the intent to operate 15 aircraft, facilitating 114 daily flights.
• However, the DGCA subjected the proposal to further scrutiny due to pending writ petitions and applications before the High Court of Delhi and the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
• In light of this, a special audit was conducted at Go First facilities in Mumbai and Delhi from July 4-6, 2023.
• The focus of the audit was to assess safety-related aspects and compliance with the requirements for holding an Air Operator Certificate.
• Additionally, the physical verification of arrangements for resuming flight operations was conducted.

The findings of the special audit were essential for DGCA to grant approval for the resumption plan. Go First promptly addressed the concerns raised during the audit to ensure the safety of their operations. This included ensuring the continued airworthiness of their aircraft and conducting satisfactory handling flights before deploying any aircraft for operations.

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Conditions

While the DGCA accepted the resumption plan, certain conditions must be met before Go First can resume scheduled flight operations.

• Firstly, the company must comply with all applicable regulatory requirements for holding an Air Operator Certificate at all times.
• Additionally, the RP must promptly notify the DGCA of any changes in the company that could impact the resumption plan.
• Moreover, the proposed flight schedule must be submitted to DGCA, taking into account available resources such as airworthy aircraft, qualified pilots, cabin crew, AMEs (Aircraft Maintainance Engineering), and flight dispatchers.

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Once these conditions are met, Go First can commence its flight operations, subject to the ongoing proceedings and outcomes in the NCLT, Delhi, and other related writ petitions and applications.

With the DGCA's acceptance of Go First's flight resumption plan, the airline is one step closer to overcoming its challenges and getting back on track.