Four senior executives of Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS), the ground-handling subsidiary associated with Air India, have been dismissed after a video of an office party went viral on social media.
The celebration reportedly took place at the company’s Gurugram office, just days after the tragic Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives. The timing of the event sparked widespread outrage, prompting the company to take disciplinary action.
Videos showing employees dancing and celebrating drew sharp criticism online. In response, AISATS terminated the senior personnel involved and issued warnings to several other employees.
Responding to the backlash, an AISATS spokesperson told NDTV, “At AISATS, we stand in solidarity with families affected by the tragic loss of AI 171 and deeply regret the lapse in judgment reflected in a recent internal video.”
{{/usCountry}}Responding to the backlash, an AISATS spokesperson told NDTV, “At AISATS, we stand in solidarity with families affected by the tragic loss of AI 171 and deeply regret the lapse in judgment reflected in a recent internal video.”
{{/usCountry}}The spokesperson added, “The behaviour does not align with our values, and firm disciplinary action has been taken against those responsible as we reaffirm our commitment to empathy, professionalism, and accountability.”
AISATS operates as a 50-50 joint venture between Air India Ltd, now under the Tata Group, and SATS Ltd, a major provider of gateway services and food solutions.
AI 171 plane crash
A Boeing Dreamliner bound for London crashed just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, slamming into a residential campus of BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar, near the airport perimeter. The crash claimed 260 lives, including 241 passengers and crew onboard and 19 individuals on the ground, making it one of India’s worst aviation disasters in decades.
Air India flight AI171, operated by a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, was headed to London Gatwick when it lost altitude shortly after departure and struck the medical hostel complex. Only one passenger — an Indian-origin British national seated in 11A – survived the crash.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe and has recovered both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The CVR was retrieved from a rooftop on June 13 and the FDR from the debris on June 16. Both were transported to Delhi for analysis.
According to Gujarat health officials, all victims have been identified through DNA testing or facial recognition, except for one.