Go First grounded half its fleet on faulty P&W engines — then filed for bankruptcy

Go First (formerly GoAir) was a low-cost Indian airline founded in 2005, wholly owned by the Wadia Group. By 2023 it operated about 50 Airbus A320neo aircraft, nearly all powered by Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan engines. The airline had bet its entire fleet strategy on a single engine supplier — a decision that would prove catastrophic when those engines began failing at scale.

Starting around 2020, Pratt & Whitney engines on Go First's A320neos developed chronic reliability problems. The airline was forced to ground about half its fleet — 25 aircraft — due to a shortage of spare engines and replacement parts. Go First estimated the revenue loss and additional expenses from the grounded planes at 108 billion rupees ($1.3 billion; £1 billion). The Wadia Group injected 32 billion rupees over three years to keep the airline alive, but the cash drain was unsustainable.

On 2 May 2023, Go First filed for voluntary insolvency and cancelled all flights. The airline blamed Pratt & Whitney for failing to comply with an emergency arbitration order requiring the supply of at least 10 spare engines by 27 April 2023. Lessors moved to repossess aircraft. The Indian government had provided emergency credit line support, but it was not enough. Go First became the first major Indian airline to collapse since Jet Airways in 2019.