Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict has escalated significantly this week, air traffic control of major airlines has limited flying over the militarized region due to the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 that was shot down by Russian separatists in a similar conflict back in 2014. However, a screenshot of a flight map was posted to Twitter yesterday showing a lone plane from Air India flying over Ukraine, provoking meme creators to imagine what was going on in the pilot's head.

By imagining the inner mechanisms of the Air India pilot's mind, Twitter users such as @sc23cc likened them to the infamous Leeroy Jenkins meme, when a World of Warcraft player mindlessly charged into a battle, inspiring a legendary meme in 2005.

LEEEEROOOYYYYYY JENKINS pic.twitter.com/ngevTQkmgI

— Jay O'Guv. Nauti Cult. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@sc23cc) February 24, 2022

Although it's unknown if the Twitter user shown above was the first one who took the screenshot, they undoubtedly kicked off the tweetstorm that ensued. En masse, users on the platform started recaptioning and reacting to the optically humorous flight map in their own tweets. The air traffic "black hole" that the Ukrainian conflict had created captured both the absurdity and the global nature of the ongoing crisis — two factors that made it easy for meme creators to exploit.

Air India on their way to Ukraine to get as many Ukrainian women as possible back to India pic.twitter.com/niTMXzrFFH

— 🇺🇦 reikon 🇷🇺 (@Dirlewanker) February 24, 2022

Air Traffic Control: Avoid the area – there's a war on!
Air India: LEEEEEROOOOYYYY JEEEENKINNNNS!!! pic.twitter.com/RO9VoGdA5o

— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) February 24, 2022

The captain of Air India Flight 121 pic.twitter.com/7YFVHCWtYl

— Prison Mitch (@MidnightMitch) February 24, 2022

Air India be like, have you seen the price of fuel…. pic.twitter.com/JnxKVAkXF2

— Faber (@dfaber84) February 24, 2022

Spirit Airlines: “We don’t give a fuck about our passengers”

Air India: “Hold my beer” https://t.co/C5es7xoEAE

— Chuck Taylor (@BoozeBlogsChuck) February 24, 2022

Air India be like: To Frankfurt? Lets take the direct Route!
Deputy Pilot: But Sir, there is a warzone…

"I SAID: THE DIRECT ROUTE!" pic.twitter.com/WS32Ikmyxg

— Móðir Fianna 🇺🇦🏴‍☠️ #MakhnoGang (@Fianna_Saoirse) February 24, 2022

Others were inspired to check the flight maps on their own, finding other planes that were also flying over the warzone and further spreading the meme trend on the platform throughout the day.

Everybody's talking about AI121 but sleeping on this guy, who is at this moment taking Kenny Loggins a bit too literally… pic.twitter.com/ub9gcSVxLy

— Dr. Jimbosaur, Esq. (@Jimbosaur) February 24, 2022

Anotha one pic.twitter.com/79esyfN2lx

— Eric (@WhiskeyJohnson_) February 24, 2022

https://t.co/NA5SlSQlXK

— Intimidated into buying $20 mixtape on 7th ave (@naxalrose) February 24, 2022

Later on in the topic's virality, one Twitter user, @uyjerimiah, pointed out the genuine flight path of the original Air India plane, showing that it was actually on its way to Germany. Other Twitter users tried to quell the worries of meme creators by posting news updates regarding Air India flights helping to evacuate Indian citizens within Romania and Ukraine, relating the rogue flight to this cause. In turn, the goofs and gaffs petered out as more people realized it was likely nothing to worry about.

That's edited because this is the actual flight plan. Try again. pic.twitter.com/ZGSIhaMdvE

— Jerimiah Uy (@uyjerimiah) February 24, 2022

#BREAKING: Air India to send two special evacuation flights shortly to Romania to evacuate stranded Indian Nationals and students who were in Ukraine. Full fledged evacuation by Government of India begins.

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) February 25, 2022

Air India flight carrying 242 passengers from Ukraine reaches Delhi. Thanks narendramodi</a> ji &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">DrSJaishankar ji. pic.twitter.com/gOpVv5VR39

— Ajay Sehrawat (@IamAjaySehrawat) February 24, 2022