For passengers flying within India on a budget, Go First has been one of the most well known options, which is why a sudden two-day halt in operations will have a massive impact. Since the airline will be operating 220 flights a day this summer, cancellations on May 3 and 4 are expected to spoil planned trips for as many as 60,000 passengers.
But blaming the non-delivery of engines for the disruption, Go First's CEO has said that it needs at least 20 aircraft to be able to sustain daily operations.
Engine maker violated international arbitration
According to a report by Moneycontrol, the Chief Executive Kaushik Khona says that the airline will be up and running as soon as they get engines from Pratt & Whitney.
The airline which has approached a NCLT for voluntary insolvency and a Delaware court against Pratt & Whitney, claims that the engine manufacturer violated an order by Singapore's International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).
The March 30 order had directed Pratt & Whitney to provide engines for the airline, without which 25 out of 50 aircraft in Go First's fleet can't take off.
A disaster long time in the making
Go First was first hit by the absence of engines in 2019 when 7 per cent of its fleet became defunct, after which it went up to 31 per cent in 2020, and by December 2022, 50 per cent of its aircraft were grounded.
With the shortfall causing a Rs 10,800 crore revenue loss, Go First has finally given up since it can't continue to pay lessor fees and operational costs in full anymore.
