New Delhi:(IANS) India’s national carrier Air India on Thursday felicitated 1,754 senior employees who had completed 25 years of service with the airline with mementos and citations as part of its foundation day celebrations.

“It is a very joyous moment for everyone. I would like to complement and congratulate each of the 1,754 employees for their loyalty and commitment and for taking Air India to new heights,” said CMD Rohit Nandan in a statement.

Air India’s foundation day is observed on August 27.

In a first, Air India organized an interaction with sports personalities via Periscope and Google Hangout.

The sportspersons are Nikhil Chopra (cricket), Tania Sachdev (chess), Jagbir Singh, M.P. Singh and Zafar Iqbal (hockey), the statement added.

Flying to 34 international destinations across US, Europe, East and South East Asia and the Gulf and to 50 domestic destinations in India, Air India is a Star Alliance member.