GoAir, which has cancelled several flights over the past week, on Thursday said its flight operations would normalise only by the weekend and that it had an adequate pool of cockpit crew resources to fly 325 daily flights.
In a statement, the airline said delays in delivery of 144 new Airbus 320 Neo aircraft in November and December had added to operational challenges alongside unavailability of spare Pratt and Whitney engines which hampered the smooth functioning of the airline.
The airline attributed flight cancellations to inclement weather in north India, leading to extensive flight delays and diversions, causing cancellations of flights as its crew approached their flight duty time limits (FDTL) in the last two-three days. This was further exacerbated due to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests wherein crew members were unable to report for duty.
An airline spokesperson said as part of the oversight process, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was conducting audits for all operators. “GoAir has also been subjected to such routine audits and will always abide by civil aviation regulations as stipulated by the DGCA, including FDTL.”
GoAir said Pratt & Whitney commercial engines had logged more than one billion hours of flight, powering the narrow and wide-body aircraft that fly both passengers and cargo around the world, setting new standards for performance and reliability. “In view of the recent events, GoAir will abide by and comply with the directives of DGCA and complete the modifications of Pratt & Whitney engines before January 31, 2020,” the spokesperson said.
GoAir clarified that it had more than adequate pool of cockpit crew resources to fly 325 daily flights. “However, due to several external factors mentioned above, we are currently experiencing a temporary disruption to its schedule. The airline is currently working to normalise its operations with the support of its pilots and cabin crew and expects to be on track by the end of this week,” the airline said.
