In a candid revelation, billionaire Nusli Wadia, chairman of the Wadia Group, expressed deep regret over the staggering loss of ₹10,000 crore incurred by the grounded airline, Go First. Wadia squarely blamed Pratt & Whitney (P&W), the aerospace company responsible for manufacturing the engines, for the dire financial state of the airline.
Despite hopes for the revival of flight operations, all planes of Go First remain grounded, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the future of the airline. Wadia, owner of the parent company of the bankrupt airline, underscored that the faulty engines provided by P&W were the primary cause of Go First’s financial woes.
Go First initiated voluntary bankruptcy proceedings in May 2023, attributing technical distress to the engines manufactured by the US-based aerospace company. Now, Nusli Wadia himself has pointed fingers at P&W, stating, “Over the last two years, P&W’s inaction and contractual defaults irreparably financially damaged Go First, putting at risk several thousand employees and a national asset serving millions of passengers.”
Wadia went on to explain that despite a National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) order for the revival of the airline, legal interventions and over 65% of its flights being grounded hindered Go First’s revival. The engines, originally contracted to work 15,000 hours without maintenance, encountered problems from the onset, with P&W eventually demanding payment for repairs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This revelation sheds light on the financial and operational challenges faced by Go First, emphasizing the pivotal role played by the contentious engines from Pratt & Whitney.
