Singapore court tells Pratt & Whitney to supply engines to Go First
Go Airlines, giving a ray of hope to the Wadia-owned carrier which has admitted itself in India’s bankruptcy court. The airline, branded Go First, stopped flying and appealed for insolvency proceedings in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 2 due to cash problems and after it had to ground more than half of its 54 planes because of supply issues from the American engine maker.
Supply of engines will give it some hope to resume its grounded operations. To be sure, the airline is also fighting a separate court case against its aircraft lessors — to whom it has defaulted on payments — that want to take their assets back.
On March 13, 2023, Go Airlines appealed to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) against Pratt & Whitney and its engine delays. In an interim relief on March 31, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) had directed PW to dispatch without delay at least 10 serviceable spare leased engines by April 27, and a further 10 such engines per month untilG December.
The latest order replaces the previous one. “Pratt & Whitney respects the Interim Arbitration ruling and will comply with the order until it is otherwise modified.
We look forward to vigorously defending ourselves during the merits proceedings where the business and legal issues will be determined and resolved,” said a spokesperson for PW. SIAC’s said its order wouldn’t apply to “any third-party engines that are in the MRO process, as to which the engine lessors have communicated contrary disposition directions based on their pre-moratorium termination of leases with the Claimant,” The court also said that any costs incurred by the engine maker in complying with the order shall “comprise costs of the insolvency
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