Go First's Bankruptcy Protection Raises Concerns for Aircraft Lessors in India
Aircraft lessors, including SMBC Aviation Capital, have raised concerns over India's decision to block leasing firms from reclaiming Go First planes, warning that it will jolt the market and spark a confidence crisis. The move comes after a tribunal gave Go Airlines (India) Ltd bankruptcy protection to allow it to revive itself, but barred lessors from repossessing planes. India is a critical market for lessors, in which sale-and-leaseback deals accounted for 75% of plane deliveries from 2018 to 2022, compared with a global average of 35%.