Air India venture sacks four seniors for office party soon after plane crash
Four senior executives at Air India SATS (AISATS) have been asked to resign after a video of an office party in Gurugram went viral, sparking widespread outrage. The video surfaced just days after the devastating Air India flight AI171 crash on June 12, 2025, which killed 259 people and left the nation in mourning.
The clip, which featured AISATS Chief Operating Officer Abraham Zachariah and other staff members dancing to loud music, was widely circulated on social media. The timing of the celebration—held shortly after one of India's deadliest aviation disasters—was widely condemned as tone-deaf and deeply insensitive.
Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London, crashed into a hostel for medical students at Ahmedabad's BJ Medical College shortly after takeoff. Of the 260 people on board, only one survived.
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As grieving families awaited the repatriation of victims' remains, the video drew sharp criticism for its perceived lack of empathy. Many users on social media slammed the company for insensitivity and poor judgment.
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In response, AISATS issued a statement saying, 'At AISATS, we stand in solidarity with the families affected by the tragic loss of AI171 and deeply regret the lapse in judgment reflected in a recent internal video. 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.'
While AISATS did not specify when the party occurred, sources confirmed that four senior staff members were terminated for their direct involvement in organizing the event.
AISATS is a joint venture between Air India, now owned by the Tata Group, and Singapore-based SATS Ltd., a global leader in airport services.
The company emphasized that disciplinary action had been taken to uphold its ethical standards, but the damage to its public image amid a national tragedy has already drawn significant backlash.
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