High Court Orders DGCA To Expedite Deregistration Requests From Go First Lessors

Go First Crisis: The high court specified that the process must be completed within a maximum of five working days.

In another downturn, for Crisis hit Go First Airline, the Delhi High Court on Friday issued a directive to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), instructing them to promptly proceed with the processing of applications submitted by multiple lessors for the deregistration of their 54 aircraft. This would enable them to reclaim the planes from the financially troubled Go First airline.

The high court specified that the process must be completed within a maximum of five working days.

Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju additionally prohibited the resolution professional (RP) appointed under the insolvency law, as well as the directors of the airline, from relocating or removing the planes, spare parts, documents, records, or any other materials associated with them.

The court said, “DGCA shall forthwith and not later than five working days process the deregistration applications filed by the 54 aircrafts.”

The high court specified that the DGCA, AAI, and their authorised representatives must assist the petitioner lessors and facilitate their access to the airports. It further ruled that the lessors are authorised to export the aircraft in accordance with the applicable rules and laws. “DGCA shall facilitate the export of aircraft by providing export certificates and all other documents,” it said.

The high court delivered its verdict on petitions filed by numerous lessors, requesting the aviation regulator DGCA to deregister their aircraft, thereby allowing them to reclaim the planes from the airline. Following the verdict, counsel representing some of the respondents requested the court to temporarily suspend its directions for a week.

However, the judge refused the request and said, "You find another court to put my directions in abeyance". 

Previously, numerous aircraft lessors of Go First had filed applications before a single judge, requesting the deregistration of their planes by the aviation regulator DGCA, enabling them to repossess the aircraft from the airline.

Earlier, the resolution professional appointed by the NCLT and responsible for overseeing Go First informed the high court that returning the aircraft to the lessors would effectively defunct the airline, which employs 7,000 staff members.