Delhi High Court Restrains Go First from Operating Aircraft Leased by Lessors

Indian low-fare carrier Go First has been restricted by the Delhi High Court to fly its lessors’ aircraft for scheduled maintenance – serving another blow to the crisis-ridden airline.

The airline has been effectively grounded since the start of May when it applied for bankruptcy. The main reason stated by the airline for its grounding of aircraft and subsequent insolvency was due to Pratt & Whitney engine failures, which in turn put pressure on select routes and airfares.

What’s more, in a rising argument between Go First with its lessors, the Indian regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has recently been approached by Go First’s lessors to deregulate its entire fleet of 54 aircraft.

This latest interim order from the High Court was passed on an application filed by SMBC Aviation Capital Limited, one of the lessors of Go First’s aircraft. It stated that the resolution professional had flown two aircraft owned by the petitioners, Go First, without the court’s permission.

On the matter of this order, Justice Ganju was quoted by the Press Trust of India:

“The Respondent no.9/ RP of Go Airlines has also not been able to show any urgency or any grave imminent threat to these aircraft to suddenly and without any prior notice compel the Respondent no.9 RP to fly these aircraft.

“Prima facie, the term – scheduled maintenance cannot be understood to include flying the aircraft even if it is a non-commercial flight. Thus, Respondent no.9/ RP of Go Airlines cannot be permitted, at this stage, to continue with these handling/maintenance flights.”

Go First is still planning to relaunch its services, despite grounding all flights until 6 August. Yet this news is another block to the low-fare carrier, as further funding issues impede its progress.