New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) to process applications of several lessors for deregistering 54 aircraft of crisis-riddle Go First airline so that they could take them back. The court has fixed five working days to dispose off the applications.
Further, it directed the resolution professional, appointed under the insolvency law, and Go First directors to stay away from moving or taking away the aeroplanes or any of their parts and documents. The direction was given by Justice Tara Vitatsa Ganju, while hearing the petitions of the lessors.
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The court said that the lessors are granted permission to export the aircraft, as per the norms. The DGCA, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other authorities shall facilitate access to lessors to visit the airport and inspect the aeroplanes for required processes. The DGCA shall assist the lessors in getting required documents and export certificates. The Go First airline stopped operation of its flights since May 3, 2023.
The lawyers of some of the respondents pleaded in the court to keep its order in abeyance for a week. However, their plea was rejected and they were told to approach another court to get the order stayed.
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The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) appointed resolution professional, who has been tasked to manage the airline, said that returning the aeroplanes wold render the carrier, which has around 7000 staff, to look after ‘dead’.
In may last year, the NCLT had accepted the airline’s voluntary insolvency petition and appointed an interim resolution professional to manage it.
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The lessors had moved to the high court, as they were not allowed to de-register and take the aircraft back owing to the moratorium imposed on it due to financial obligation and transfer of assets of the airline career. The lessors had contended that the DGCA’s reluctance to deregister aircraft was illegitimate.
Around a dozen lessors, including Acipiter Investments Aircraft 2 Limited, EOS Aviation 12 (Ireland) Ltd, Pembroke Aircraft Leasing 11 Ltd, SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd and SFV Aircraft Holdings IRE 9 DAC, have approach the court to get the Go First aircraft deregistered.
