Government Collaborates with IndiGo and Two Saudi Carriers to Re-allocate Go First’s Haj Flights

According to a senior official, the Indian government has made the decision to reassign the Haj flights originally planned for Go First, a crisis-hit airline, to IndiGo and two Saudi Arabian airlines. This decision comes in light of the uncertainty surrounding cash-strapped Go First, which has ceased all flights since May 3. The National Company Law Tribunal has also accepted the budget airline’s request for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings.

Following discussions prompted by the Go First crisis, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has chosen to reallocate the flights intended for the carrier’s operation during the Haj pilgrimage.

Go First was originally scheduled to operate these flights from ten departure points across the country. However, they will now be operated by IndiGo, Saudia, and Flyadeal, as confirmed by the official PTI.

According to an official, there will be a total of 22 embarkation points for this year’s Haj pilgrimage. Among them, Go First was scheduled to operate from 10 embarkation points, SpiceJet from 4 points, Saudia from 2 points, and Air India, Air India Express, and Vistara from 2 points each.

Flights for Haj Pilgrims

The flights for Haj pilgrims will commence later this month and continue until the second week of July.

India has been allotted a quota of 175,025 Haj pilgrims for this year, with the annual pilgrimage scheduled to take place around the end of June.

In February, the minority affairs ministry informed the Lok Sabha that they had conducted several interactive sessions on Haj management with stakeholders, including the Haj Committees of the states and Union Territories. During these sessions, requests for the restoration of the Haj quota were received.

The issue was addressed through the annual bilateral agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for Haj 2023. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the original Haj quota of 175,025 for the country has been restored for Haj 2023, as announced by the ministry.

The Haj Committee of India (HCoI) has been allocated a specific quota for Haj 2023 under the Annual Bilateral Agreement. This quota is intended to accommodate pilgrims from different states and UTs.

The fate of Go First Airline remains uncertain as an Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) has been designated by the NCLT. To oversee the airline’s operations according to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). However, certain lessors have disputed the decision made by the tribunal.

Also, Read: Indian Aviation News 

Aviation News

International Aviation News

Private & Non-scheduled Charter operators in India

APPROACH PLATES

Go through, the Mall of Aviation

For the best HELIPAD CONSULTANCY