Go First penalised for violation, receives two-hour operation ban

Order will be in effect between 12-2 p.m on April 1

Go First will not be able to operate flights from Delhi airport for two hours on April 1, the civil aviation ministry said in a partial modification of an earlier order of the aviation security regulator. 

The order was passed by the ministry last week on an appeal by the airline and will be applicable between 12-2 p.m. Go First did not immediately respond to a text message and email query. 

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had on January 5 ordered the suspension of the aircraft operator security programme of Go First for nine hours on January 19.

The order was issued because the airline violated BCAS order that prohibits ramp to ramp (airside) transfer of passengers and baggage without screening. The incident occurred on September 24, 2022 when 94 Mumbai-bound passengers were transferred to another parked aircraft after the plane they were originally travelling returned to bay because of a technical reason.

Suspension of the aircraft operator security programme in effect means that an airline can not operate flights from the airport during the period.

While the ministry upheld the BCAS decision, it modified the order and made it applicable for two hours on April 1. Considering the inconvenience to passengers due to the order, the airline has also been advised to communicate with the passengers or take suitable action to minimise the impact on passengers.