Delhi HC Judge Justice Pratibha Singh Recuses From Hearing Pleas By Various Lessors Against Go First

The Delhi High Court judge Justice Prathiba M Singh on Thursday recused from hearing a number of petitions filed by various lessors to de-register their aircrafts currently leased by the crisis hit airline Go First.

According to Justice Singh’s order, the appeals will be heard by a different bench tomorrow, subject to Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma’s directions.

The lessors are Accipiter Investments Aircraft 2 Limited, Pembroke Aircraft Leasing 11 Limited, SMBC Aviation Capital Limited, and EOS Aviation 12 (Ireland Limited).

In the case of the lessors, the aircraft in question are no longer under lease, so the airline is not permitted to use them. Union of India and the Director General of Civil Aviation are among those who have responded to the petitions.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) upheld the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) order authorizing the initiation of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process against Go Airlines (India) Limited on May 22.

The lessors’ appeal to NCLT’s directive to keep the leased aircraft intact and in Go Airlines’ possession was denied by NCLAT.

The NCLAT allowed IRP and the lessors the freedom to file applications before the NCLT with respect to their claims relating to the leased aircrafts because the lessors had challenged the imposition of a moratorium on leased aircrafts when the lease agreement stood terminated prior to CIRP.