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Amid IndiGo crisis, Jaspal Bhatti’s old comedy sketch ‘SOS Airline’ resurfaces online: ‘Way ahead of his time’

As of December 7, more than 2,100 IndiGo flights have been cancelled nationwide, stranding thousands of passengers and sending airfares soaring.

2 min readNew DelhiDec 7, 2025 06:50 PM IST

In the resurfaced video, Bhatti plays a hilariously clueless airline official juggling overbooked flights, missing pilots, endless paperwork, chaotic counters, and the all-too-familiar “technical issues”

In the resurfaced video, Jaspal Bhatti plays a hilariously clueless airline official juggling overbooked flights, missing pilots, endless paperwork, chaotic counters, and the all-too-familiar “technical issues” (Image source: @rajeshkalra/X)

As the IndiGo crisis continues, an old comedy sketch from Jaspal Bhatti’s iconic show Full Tension resurfaced on social media, sparking a stir over the airline’s mismanagement.

The decades-old clip, titled SOS Airline, has gone viral just as IndiGo, one of India’s biggest carriers, is coping with massive operational disruptions. As of December 7, more than 2,100 flights have been cancelled nationwide, stranding thousands of passengers and sending airfares soaring.

In the resurfaced video, Bhatti plays a hilariously clueless airline official juggling overbooked flights, missing pilots, endless paperwork, chaotic counters, and the all-too-familiar “technical issues” that seem more like poor management. Passengers can be seen sprinting between counters, arguing, pleading, and even trying to bribe their way onto flights.

Watch here:

He was so far ahead of his time. Simply brilliant!
Jaspal Bhatti had predicted @IndiGo6E fiasco three decades ago and sent an SOS then 😂 pic.twitter.com/u8XRtfag7K

— Rajesh Kalra (@rajeshkalra) December 6, 2025

The video has since gone viral, drawing numerous reactions over the ongoing IndiGo crisis. “He was spot on. Way ahead of his time. But that was another era. For his comedy now, he would have long received ED team at his office, declared anti national and put in jail,” a user wrote.

“His satires have been social commentary on the issues present event at time and still holds relevant cause times change but things don’t change,” another user commented. “True. What an artist!! Dignified , message oriented comedy. Trend setter of sorts,” a third user reacted.

Meanwhile, 76 IndiGo flights were cancelled at the N S C Bose International Airport on Sunday and of the IndiGo flights cancelled, 53 were departures and 23 were arrivals, officials said, as reported by PTI.

Also Read | ‘I’m missing my own wedding’: As IndiGo crisis continues, man shares agony with fellow passengers stuck at airport

“IndiGo Flights scheduled departures: 129, scheduled arrivals: 97; cancelled today, departures: 53, arrivals: 23,” the Kolkata Airport said in its X handle on Sunday.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) Saturday released an order requiring all airlines to follow the fare caps strictly. Despite this, several passengers complained of sky-rocket ticket fares.