Amid bankruptcy concerns, Go First Airlines has announced the cancellation of all flights till May 12th due to a severe cash crunch.
The low-cost airline, which is promoted by the Wadia Group, cited a long-standing issue with engine maker Pratt & Whitney as the cause for the grounding of half of its fleet, leading to financial difficulties.
Due to operational reasons, Go First flights until 12th May 2023 are cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and request customers to visit https://t.co/qRNQ4oQjYT for more info. For any queries or concerns, please feel free to contact us. pic.twitter.com/wqQIm6ZDqT
— GO FIRST (@GoFirstairways) May 5, 2023
This has left passengers who had booked tickets with the airline stranded, with no options for alternative travel.
In addition to cancelling all flights, Go First Airlines has also applied for voluntary insolvency proceedings at the NCLT, which has left passengers concerned about their tickets and potential refunds.
Although the airline has stated that full refunds will be issued to affected passengers, those who had booked tickets in advance are now faced with limited options.
They must either book a flight at a higher price due to last-minute booking, or they may have to cancel their journey altogether if the cancelled flight was the only option available for their route.
According to a report by ANI, the counters of Go First Airlines at Amritsar airport were found to be deserted as the airline had cancelled all of its flights.
A stranded passenger of Go First Airlines shared that while the airline had mentioned issuing refunds, they were not providing any other alternatives.
“As I reached the airport for my flight to Mumbai, there was nobody at the counter.
We asked to be adjusted on other flights, but the airline is only talking about giving us a refund,” said Gurvinder Singh, the passenger.
Another affected passenger who had booked a ticket with Go First Airlines expressed disappointment, stating that the airline should have provided an alternative flight after cancelling their original one.
“Our flight was cancelled suddenly. They should have given us another flight. They are telling us they will refund us after 7 days,” said the passenger.
Meanwhile, the official Twitter account of Go First Airlines has released a statement apologizing to its customers for the cancelled flights, citing “operational reasons”.
The statement also assures customers that full refunds will be issued through the original mode of payment soon.
The DGCA has issued a notice to Go First Airlines for cancelling flights without informing the aviation authority in advance.
Meanwhile, Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Civil Aviation Minister, has stated that while the Government of India has been providing assistance to the airline in every possible way, it is the airline’s responsibility to arrange alternative travel options for passengers to minimize their inconvenience.
Scindia also mentioned that Go First Airlines is dealing with critical supply chain issues related to its engines, and the government is working with stakeholders to address the matter.
“He added that it was unfortunate that this operational challenge had impacted the financial position of the airline.
The airline has applied to the NCLT, and it is advisable to wait for the judicial process to run its course,” he further said.
Go First Airlines announced on Tuesday that its operations would be cancelled due to the non-supply of engines by the US-based Jet engines manufacturer.
“Go First is facing a financial crunch due to the non-supply of engines by US-based jet engines manufacturer Pratt and Whitney (P&W), which has forced the grounding of more than 50 planes,” a Go First official informed ANI.
