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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued an apology for a controversial social media advert depicting one of its planes flying toward the Eiffel Tower. The advertisement, published to mark the airline’s return to Paris following the lifting of a safety ban, drew sharp criticism online for its perceived insensitivity.
The image, which featured the caption, “Paris, we’re coming today,” was shared on PIA’s official X account on January 10, where it remains posted.
— PIA (@Official_PIA) January 10, 2025
“Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion with connotations and perceptions that were not intended,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan told AFP. “It might have triggered some negative emotion, for which we truly apologize.”
The post caused outrage and many thousands of people compared it to the 9/11/2001 attacks of the Al-Qaeda group on the Twin Towers in New York. The 9/11 terrorist attack arranged by Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama bin Laden who was killed in 2011 in Pakistan by America’s special forces, took almost 3000 lives.
Critics were vocal online, with one user commenting, “Is this (an) advertisement or threat?” while another remarked, “I’d have a word with your marketing department on this one chief.”
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has asked for an investigation to be conducted into the advert, which, according to the Finance Minister has been described as ‘stupidity’.
Despite the uproar, PIA spokesman Aamir Khan said there has been a good response to the airline’s European service restoration; at the moment, flights were running at a capacity of 95% plus.
PIA’s Checkered History
In June 2020, the airline faced a ban from the EU, UK, and the US following a tragic incident in Karachi, where an Airbus A-320 crashed, resulting in the loss of 99 lives. The investigation attributed the accident to pilot error, revealing that up to 28 pilots from PIA were operating with fraudulent licenses.
In 2016, a tragic incident unfolded as a PIA plane caught fire during its flight, leading to the loss of more than 40 lives. In November 2024, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency decided to lift the ban, expressing confidence in the aviation oversight of Pakistan. Nonetheless, PIA continues to face a ban in both the UK and the US.
PIA currently runs domestic flights throughout Pakistan and offers international routes to the Gulf and Southeast Asia, with officials positive about expanding their presence in European markets.
