GoFirst Forced to Give Up Entire A320 Fleet

‍DALLAS – The Indian low-cost carrier GoFirst (G8), formerly known as GoAir, has been holding all its commercial flights since May 2023, as the company struggles to achieve a positive financial recuperation in a very demanding domestic market.

Now, the LCC’s situation has worsened dramatically as it will be giving up its entire Airbus fleet, leaving it with no aircraft at all.

The decision made by G8 was not voluntary. On the contrary, the order to deregister all 54 Airbus A320 family planes was issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India (DGCA). All these aircraft, therefore would now be transferred back to the lessors, who demanded the return, so as to provide them to other customers across the globe.

The large A320neo order was placed by the carrier when it still carried its former name: GoAir. Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways.

Operational Closure

At the moment of its operational closure, GoFirst operated a fleet of 5 Airbus A320ceo and 49 A320neo aircraft. It was, in fact, the third customer to ever receive the A320neo family aircraft. The carrier made up its fleet from diverse leasing contracts from MSFL, CCB Financial Leasing, BOC Aviation, and CDB Aviation, among many others.

Since May 2023, G8 has tried to re-establish its flights and route network, constantly postponing the restart on a monthly basis, and informing customers across its website and social media.

The last attempt to do so was announced to happen on February 4, 2024, but no more news on the public side has been published ever since. Now, with the full retraction of its fleet, a definitive and permanent bankruptcy of the company is closer than ever.