Go First cancels all flights till May 12, cites ’operational reasons’

Days after filing for voluntary insolvency, crisis-hit domestic carrier Go First has now cancelled all flights till May 12. The company cited “operational reasons” for the announcement.

“We regret to inform that due to operational reasons, Go First flights scheduled till 12th May 2023 have been cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the flight cancellations. A full refund will be issued to the original mode of payment shortly,” the company wrote.

The cash-strapped airline had filed for voluntary insolvency proceedings earlier this week.Lessors have however opposed its request for the tribunal to accept its plea seeking an interim moratorium to save its assets.

Earlier, the civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), examined the response of Go First and issued an order to the carrier to process their refunds to passengers.

In a statement, DGCA said that Go First has intimated that they have suspended sale of their flights till May 15, 2023 and are working to refund or reschedule for future dates, the passengers already booked to fly with them.

India's first major airline collapse since 2019 underlines the fierce competition in a sector dominated by IndiGo and the recent merger of Air India and Vistara under the Tata conglomerate.

(With inputs from agencies)