The Supreme Court on
Monday dismissed Go First’s resolution professional appeal against the Delhi
High Court’s single-judge order, which permitted lessors access to the aircraft
in the possession of the financially troubled airline.
The apex court stated
that as the matter was already being extensively argued daily before the Delhi
High Court, it would not be appropriate for the top court to interfere.
“The proceedings are
pending before the Delhi High Court, where petitions are being argued on a
day-to-day basis. We are not entertaining this at the present stage. Let the
jurisdictional issues also be addressed before the single judge,” the Bench,
comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala
and Manoj Misra, said.
Go
First had challenged the division Bench order of the Delhi High Court in the Supreme
Court on August 2. The disputed order upheld a single judge’s ruling allowing
the crisis-hit airline’s lessors to inspect the aircraft.
Last
Thursday, the lessors informed HC that future aircraft leasing would be
jeopardised if the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) fails to
deregister the aircraft whose leases have been terminated.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing one of
the lessors, pointed out that the involuntary retention of their aircraft
reflects negatively on the Indian aviation sector. He also noted that while the
civil aviation regulator has not outrightly rejected their request for
deregistration, it has been placed in abeyance due to the ongoing moratorium.