Dgca: Immediately stop all bookings till further orders, DGCA directs Go First; issues show cause to airline

NEW DELHI: The Directorate-General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed Go First to immediately stop booking and selling tickets “directly or indirectly” until further notice. That order was issued Monday when the regulator issued a show-cause notice to Go First for “failure to continue operating the service in a safe, efficient and reliable manner.” The regulator will take a call regarding the air operator’s certificate (AOC, or license) of an airline that has been grounded since May 3 after reviewing its response to the notice, which must be submitted within two weeks.
“Given the sudden cancellation of flights and the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings as part of the corporate bankruptcy Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) through Go to airlines (India) Limited (Go First) have issued an occasional notice to DGCA Go First in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 for their failure to continue operating the service in a safe, efficient and reliable manner. said a senior DGCA official.

“The airline has been asked to submit their response within 15 days of receipt of this notice and further decisions on maintaining their Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) will be made based on the response they have submitted. In addition, Go First has been ordered to stop booking and selling tickets, directly or indirectly, effective immediately and pending further orders,” the official added.
Go First has canceled all flights since May 3 and issued an appeal to the NCLT to open voluntary insolvency proceedings. Go First landlords have rushed to repossess their planes, and airline workers like pilots are desperate for jobs with Air India, IndiGo and Akasa.