Go First crew stranded in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Phuket after airline goes bankrupt: sources

Employees of Indian low-cost carrier Go First are allegedly stranded at various locations in India and abroad after the company filed for bankruptcy and suspended all flights until May 5.

Sources with knowledge of the matter told Business Today that the crew and pilot were stranded at the point where the flight was scheduled to take off May 3-5.

“Go First is scheduled to fly from Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to Friday and also from Kuwait on Thursday. Some flights are also scheduled from Bangkok, Muscat and Phuket. As these flights have been suspended, Staff were trapped there,” the source said.

This is especially challenging for staff stranded abroad because they don’t necessarily have the right to walk out of the airport when needed, the source explained.

“It can be managed for a day or two, but if they don’t arrange another flight home, it becomes very difficult for them. They can’t leave the airport, and what about all the extra days they spend there,” he said.

Employees of the airline were also stuck at domestic locations with no clarity on what would happen next.

A crew member told Business Today, “I boarded a flight to Jaipur earlier this week and was supposed to fly to Bangalore on Wednesday. Here. We don’t even know if flights will continue from Saturday.”

Business Today has contacted Go First for a response.

Go First filed for bankruptcy with the National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday as losses mounted. The airline blamed engine maker Pratt & Whitney for the bankruptcy.

“Because Pratt & Whitney did not provide the required number of spare leased engines pursuant to the order issued by the emergency arbitrator, Go First is unable to continue to meet its financial obligations,” Go First said in a statement.

The engine maker echoed the airline’s comments, saying Go First had a “long history of non-payment”.

The development is significant as Go First is the first major airline in India to go bankrupt after Jet Airways in 2019.

Also read: ‘Staff hit hardest when airlines close’: Uncertainty hangs over 5,000 Go First employees as company files for bankruptcy – BusinessToday

Also read: IBM to freeze hiring and replace 7,800 jobs with AI: CEO Arvind Krishna – BusinessToday