Go First to resume flights on May 24 with reduced schedule, aircraft: Report

On May 8, the civil aviation regulator DGCA issued a directive to the airline, instructing it to halt ticket sales immediately.

Budget airline Go First is set to resume flights on May 24, according to internal sources. The airline has developed a business plan to restart operations with 23 aircraft, although on a smaller scale than before, media reports said on May 10.

Go First has access to 51 departure slots at Delhi’s main airport and 37 at Mumbai’s main airport, but its initial schedule will be reduced, a report in Economic Times said.

The airline has been in discussions with the Indian government about its plans to resume flights and will approach the authorities for permission to resume bookings following a meeting on May 11.

The airline has also prepared a resumption plan to submit to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that outlines the number of aircraft it will operate and the destinations it will serve.

Ream More: Go First insolvency spoils summer travel plans of Indians

Go First recently filed for insolvency and the National Company Law Tribunal accepted the company’s application for a voluntary insolvency resolution process on May 10.

The current management, which will soon be replaced by a court-appointed resolution professional from Alvarez & Marsal, has scheduled a meeting to discuss resuming flights.

The airline has faced criticism from the DGCA for its failure to deliver efficient and dependable services, and a show-cause notice was issued to the airline.

Despite this, the court order prohibits lessors from pursuing pending dues or terminating aircraft lease agreements and airports from cancelling the airline’s slots. The deregistration requests filed by lessors for 46 aircraft have also been declared invalid.

Go First’s CEO, Kaushik Khona, has described the court’s decision as a “historic and landmark judgement”, and said that the airline is looking to resume flights as soon as possible.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Go First previously operated a significant number of flights to popular leisure destinations such as Srinagar, Leh, and Goa. However, following the suspension of flights by Go First during the summer travel season, airfares to these destinations have experienced a substantial increase.