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AHMEDABAD: In what comes as a betrayal most brutal for air passengers during peak holiday season, Go First has cancelled all flight movements on Wednesday and Thursday after filing for bankruptcy with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
While many passengers have not yet received refunds for the cancelled flights, they are left with no choice but to either cancel their holiday plans altogether or opt for other airline operators, many of whom have hiked their fares.
Vipul Patel, an Ahmedabad-based travel agent said, “I had booked Go First flights on Ahmedabad-Goa-Ahmedabad sector for group tours this summer. Around 40 passengers who were scheduled to return on Wednesday are stranded in Goa at present. With their flights cancelled, most have extended their stay in Goa while those in a hurry to come back have been requesting immediate bookings. In either case, we will have to bear the additional expenditure. Even if I book tickets a day before the trip, we will end up shelling out more than double the air fare we paid at the time of booking.” Travel industry sources said that other airlines have hiked their fares over many of these sectors.
For instance, the minimum fare to Dabolim Airport in Goa on Wednesday is Rs 10,795 per person and it is not a direct flight; there is only one available flight to Manohar International Airport at a minimum fare of Rs 8,370 per person. Similarly, only one return flight is available from Goa to Ahmedabad.
When booked a day in advance, a flight to Mumbai from the city on Wednesday will cost a minimum of Rs 7,100, one to Bengaluru will cost Rs 12,762 per person, and one to Chandigarh, Rs 19,500.
The airline has cited operational reasons for suspension of flights in messages sent to customers.
“GO FIRST has had to take this step due to the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney’s International Aero Engines, LLC, which has resulted in having to ground 25 aircraft (equivalent to approximately 50% of its Airbus A320neo aircraft fleet) as of 1 May 2023. The percentage of grounded aircraft due to Pratt & Whitney’s faulty engines has grown from 7% in December 2019 to 31% in December 2020 to 50% in December 2022. This is despite Pratt & Whitney making several on-going assurances over the years, which it has repeatedly failed to meet,” according to a statement issued by the airline.
Even on Tuesday, around five Go First flights from SVPI airport to Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru and Delhi were cancelled. Travel operators are pushing for immediate action by the aviation watchdog, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
“The DGCA must intervene in the matter and ensure passengers get their refunds. We have had a history of low-cost carriers shutting operations and our experience remains bitter with no refunds issued whatsoever. Moreover, during peak vacation season, fliers are highly inconvenienced due to such drastic measures by the airline. At a time when the government is taking measures to boost tourism, such incidents deter passengers from travelling,” said Manish Sharma, chairman, Travel Agents’ Federation of India (TAFI) – Gujarat.
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