Love, Lies, & Layovers

Part 1: Love

After the suicide of SkyHop’s co-founder Pavan Taneja, his family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit accusing his girlfriend and company CEO, Kristine Scotto, of betrayal, deception, and driving him to despair. The devastating news left them with overwhelming grief and questions.

How did the man who dreamed of building SkyHop Global, a company meant to transform airline crew transportation, end up locked in years of brutal legal battles with the woman who once claimed to love him?

That woman was Kristine Scotto.

They met in 2012 at a Tony Robbins event in India, a place built on motivation and trust. Pavan was a visionary, pouring more than $4 million from his family’s trust into creating SkyHop. Scotto was charismatic and ambitious. Together, they built what looked like a partnership. But within a few years, she had taken full control of the company — and of his dream.

According to court filings, Scotto claimed 100% ownership of SkyHop, pushing Pavan and his family out. The Taneja family’s firm, Bridge Holdings International, accused her of diverting assets, inflating her own salary, and using company money for personal luxuries including retreats, legal fees, and high-end vehicles.

A certified public accountant brought in as an expert found that Scotto had “attempted to divert and take the most valuable assets out of the company for her own benefit.” The years-long legal battle over control of SkyHop took a heavy toll on Pavan, who continued fighting for the company he built until his death.

In 2016, before the case could be resolved, he died by suicide.

After his death, his family carried on the fight — not just for ownership, but for accountability. They later filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in 2023 against Scotto, accusing her of negligence, emotional distress, and conduct they believe contributed to his death. To them, this was never just a business dispute — it was a story of love, ambition, and betrayal with a devastating human cost.

Even after settling with the family for $4.2 million, Scotto continued to run SkyHop and continued the pattern of harm.

She misrepresented SkyHop’s women-owned certification to airlines, defied living-wage laws at major airports, and retaliated against workers who dared to organize for safety and respect.

For Pavan’s family, the pain remains raw.

For SkyHop’s customers and employees, the pattern is all too familiar.

And for anyone watching, the story is a warning about what happens when trust becomes a tool for control and power eclipses compassion.