Four senior executives at Air India Sats Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS) have been fired after an online video of a celebratory office in Air India Private Limited (AISATS), a ground-handling joint venture, surfaced online. The footage shows employees dancing and celebrating, prompting criticism across social media platforms.
Watch the video here –
It has only been a few days since the tragic crash of the Ahmedabad plane.
Many families still couldn't see their last loved one. Some bodies have not been handed over yet.
The sadness hangs heavily in the home, the funeral cries are not yet cool. And that's what happens… pic.twitter.com/rrlekbnaed
– Sitting Neon (@thesquind) June 22, 2025
Party held days after the fatal crash of Air India
This controversy deepened with the timing of the event. The event reportedly took place at AISATS' Gurugram office days after the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad.
The incident has killed 260 people, making it one of the most deadly aviation disasters in India's recent history. Public sentiment was rapidly passed on the company, prompting rapid disciplinary action.
The company is responding to public rebound
An AISATS spokesperson said in a statement to NDTV, “AISATS is in solidarity with families affected by the tragic loss of AI 171 and deeply regrets the lapse of judgments reflected in recent internal videos.”
The company confirmed the firing of four senior officials involved with the party, adding that several others have been officially warned. “Behavior is not in line with our values,” the spokesman added.
AISATS is a 50-50 joint venture between Air India Ltd, currently under Tata Group, and SATS Ltd, a leading Singapore-based provider of Airport Gateway and Food Services.
AI171 Tragedy: What happened
On June 12, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which runs as the Air India Flight AI171, crashed a few seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad. The plane headed for Gatwick in London was scattered across residential areas at BJ Medical College in Meganinagar near the airport boundary, losing elevation.
The collision killed 260 people, 241 passengers and crew members on board, and 19 people on the ground. Only one survived. A British citizen from India who sat in 11A.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the investigation. Both the cockpit audio recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) have been retrieved. On June 13th, the CVR was sent from the rooftop and on June 16th, the FDR was sent from Debris to Delhi.
According to health officials in Gujarat, DNA and facial recognition is used to identify almost every victim. Only one thing needs to be identified at the end.
