Delhi, India: US aviation major Pratt and Whitney (PW) has hit back at GoFirst, which has put its petitioning for deliberate insolvency on the previous' failure to supply motors because of which a big part of the carrier's Airbus A320neo armada has been grounded for quite a long time. PW sources claims "GoFirst has an extended history of missing its monetary commitments to Pratt."
PW stated in a statement: We continue to prioritize delivery schedules for all of our airline clients because Pratt & Whitney is committed to their success. PW is adhering to the March 2023 Go First arbitration decision. As this is currently a question of prosecution, we won't remark further." “Due to the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by PW which has resulted in Go First having to ground 25 aircraft (nearly 50% of its Airbus A320neo fleet) as of May 1, 2023,” GoFirst, which has 61 aircraft in its fleet, stated on Tuesday that it moved NCLT under the Insolvency Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The airline claims that the groundings have cost it Rs 10,800 crore in lost revenue and expenses. It has been operating on cash and carry by oil and airport companies. It has asked PW for Rs. 8,000 crore in compensation.
IndiGo began operating in August 2006, while GoFirst began operating in November 2005. While IndiGo today has an armada of more than 310 airplanes, the Wadia Gathering carrier didn't develop for a long time. In 2018, Go began flying internationally. Pratt's motor issues for the Airbus A320neo group of planes have impacted both IndiGo and GoAir yet the previous oversaw them better with a multi-pronged technique including an enormous armada, settling on two motor providers and taking wide bodies on wet rent. " Since its inception, GoAir has experienced numerous top-level changes, resulting in a lack of stability that would permit growth. Additionally, regular aircraft induction and timely fund infusion were absent. According to a number of industry insiders, "So both GoAir and IndiGo have no similarity from starting around the same time." While the PW engine issue undoubtedly had a significant impact on Go First, the decision to file for voluntary bankruptcy is the result of a number of events.
However, in contrast to Jet Airways, whose revival has not yet occurred, Go First is regarded as a "relatively clean" airline in terms of operations and balance sheet and may attract serious investors. SpiceJet has been unsuccessful in its search for an investor for years. At least twice in the past ten years, an Indian airline and a foreign airline sought to acquire a stake in Go Air. However, the transaction was not completed because the promoter's ask was too high. A specialist in resolution will now take this call, according to sources.
GoAir's 600-700 pilots, trained cabin crew, and other personnel will be an appealing hiring pool for both IndiGo and Air India with its 61 aircraft. A high-ranking representative of one of these airlines stated, "We have started receiving queries from Go pilots."