NEW DELHI: GoAir will restart operations from Monday with very few flights. While the airline says it plans to use 20-24 aircraft for mounting 50-60 daily flights, the buildup to this truncated figure could be a very gradual one with a modest start from Monday.
The Wadia Group budget carrier, which had 300 domestic and international flights daily in pre-pandemic times, will keep a significant part of its 6,700 employees on leave without pay (LWP) for some time because of the limited flights with which it is resuming operations. In the first week of domestic flights resumption (since May 25) IndiGo and Vistara have operated about 225 and 30 daily flights, respectively, on an average.
Of GoAir’s over 600 pilots, only about 100-110 co-pilots and as many captains have got revised pay letters — with a sharp cut — who will be required in the near term post restart. Over 400 pilots will remain on LWP, said an airline official. “Pre-lockdown we were operating 54 aircraft and now we will be using 20-24 Airbus A320s from Monday. We have been allowed 100 flights (one-third of original schedule) and we hope to (soon) have 50-60 daily flights. This number may also vary depending on actual demand,” said the official. The airline, like other Indian carriers, has let go of the more expensive ex-pat pilots.
