IndiGo delay crisis: Popcorn goodie bag goes viral as hundreds of flights get cancelled

What might usually pass as a courtesy during short delays in flights has, this week, come to represent a much larger problem. On Monday, a video showing IndiGo passengers receiving a “goodie bag” spread rapidly across social media, as the airline’s operational disruption stretched further. More than 400 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Tuesday, December 9.(Instagram/baaaira.gaurav) What was inside the IndiGo goodie bag?The video was shared on Instagram @baaaira.gaurav, along with the caption “Unboxing: Apology token from indigo for flight delay.” The bag contained caramel popcorn, baked methi mathri, a mixed fruit juice carton, tissue paper and a Samsung-branded card. For many stranded travellers, it felt less like assance and more like a makeshift response, offered while hundreds of flights continued to be cancelled. Netizens react to the viral videoSocial media users reacted quickly to video shared widely across the internet. One user described, “It’s not as an apology it’s meal for you to eat while you are waiting. We got it even when our flight was delayed an 1.5 hrs last year.” Another quipped, “Therapy ke kharche nahi dengay kya? (Won’t they pay for therapy?)” A third person wrote, “Lucky u we got only cold drink after asking”. IndiGo cancellations across major airportsThe airline has been directed the government to cut planned flights 5 per cent, amid rampant cancellations across major Indian cities. More than 400 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, December 9, with a majority of them in Delhi and Bengaluru. The airline operates 2,200 flights a day in the winter schedule. Also Read: IndiGo stares at ‘significant’ financial damage due to flight crisis, Moody’s says Airline response and ongoing concernsIndiGo has attributed the disruptions to its transition to revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, which restrict pilot duty hours. On Friday, CEO Pieter Elbers released a video apology, acknowledging the “major inconvenience” caused to passengers. Elbers, in a new video, said that the first priority now is to help all the stranded customers get back home, followed disbursing the refunds. Also Read: IndiGo pilot says ‘I am sorry’ as he addresses passengers on Coimbatore-bound flight: ‘I want to go home too’ FAQsWhy is IndiGo’s goodie bag trending online?The video showed the snacks handed to passengers as IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights over several days. What was included in the IndiGo goodie bag?The bag contained caramel popcorn, baked methi mathri, fruit juice, tissue paper and a card. How many flights IndiGo cancelled on Tuesday?More than 400 flights have been cancelled, most of them in Delhi and Bengaluru.