Bhatia, who co-founded the airline with his friend, Rakesh Gangwal, in 2006, minced no words in his first email to the staff on Tuesday evening. “What happened last December should never have taken place…Our customers didn’t deserve it, and nor did all of you, especially the frontline employees who bore most of the brunt for no fault of theirs,” wrote Bhatia, signing off the email with “Main Hoon Na” (I am there)—a reference to the 2004 Shah Rukh Khan hit.

