Justice Prathiba M Singh Of Delhi High Court Recuses From Hearing Pleas By Lessors To Deregister Aircrafts On Lease With Go First

Delhi High Court judge Justice Prathiba M Singh on Thursday recused from hearing a batch of pleas moved by various lessors to de-register their aircrafts currently on lease with the crisis-hit airline Go First.

Justice Singh ordered that the pleas be listed for hearing before another bench tomorrow, subject to the orders of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.

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

It is the case of the lessors that the airline in question has no right to use their aircrafts as the leases concerning them have been terminated. The respondents in the petitions include Union of India and Director General of Civil Aviation.

On May 22, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal upheld the order passed by NCLT whereby Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process was initiated against Go Airlines (India) Limited.

NCLAT had rejected an appeal filed by the lessors challenging NCLT’s direction to keep the leased aircrafts intact in the possession of Go Airlines.

Since the lessors had challenged the imposition of moratorium on leased aircrafts when the lease agreement stood terminated prior to CIRP, the NCLAT granted liberty to IRP and the lessors to file applications before the NCLT with respect to their claims relating to the leased aircrafts.

Title: PEMBROKE AIRCRAFT LEASING 11 LIMITED Vs. DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIATION & ORS. And other connected matters