Pune : Tourism companies demand help from govt after Go First announces insolvency

The Travel Agents Association Pune (TAP) had organized a press conference in Pune on Saturday, May 6 to demand help from the government after Go First Airline filed for bankruptcy and suddenly stopped flight services without prior notice.

The sudden suspension of services has affected tourists and tourism companies that had made travel plans months in advance. The TAP has appealed to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to intervene and help resolve the situation.

The TAP officials have highlighted the impact of the airline’s sudden suspension of services on tourism companies and tourists who have made non-refundable payments in advance on airlines, hotels, and local services. They have also criticized the airline’s practice of giving ticket refunds in the form of virtual accounts that can only be used to purchase the airline’s tickets, making it impossible for tourists to get their money back if the airline shuts down.

The TAP has made several demands to the government, including ordering other companies to serve Go First’s route, avoiding a price hike on air tickets for the next two months, and instructing Go First to pay ticket refunds directly to the bank accounts of tourism companies. They have also called for hotels and other facilities providing companies to refund tour companies in case of trip cancellation. The government’s intervention is essential to help mitigate the impact of Go First’s sudden suspension of services on the tourism industry.