Paris Flight Ad
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued a formal apology following backlash over a controversial social media post celebrating the resumption of its European flights after a four-year hiatus.
The post, shared on PIA’s official X handle, featured an image of a plane flying towards the Eiffel Tower with the caption, “Paris, we’re coming today.” This seemingly celebratory message was met with criticism, with many drawing unsettling comparisons to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, when two planes were hijacked and flown into the buildings, killing nearly 3,000 people.
The reaction online was swift and intense, with many users voicing concerns over the negative connotations the post might evoke. Some users questioned whether the image was an advertisement or a threat, while others criticized PIA’s marketing department for the choice of imagery.
In response to the backlash, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan explained that the post was not intended to offend, acknowledging that it may have inadvertently triggered negative emotions. He apologized on behalf of the airline, stating, “Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion with connotation and perceptions that were not intended.”
Khan noted that while the backlash was significant, the negative reactions accounted for a small portion of the total engagement, estimated at around 60,000 to 70,000 comments.
The controversy prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order an inquiry into the matter. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also criticized the ad, calling it “stupidity.”
Despite the uproar, PIA defended the overall response to its European flight resumption, which has been overwhelmingly positive, with flights operating at more than 95% capacity.
PIA had been banned from flying to the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 2020 after a deadly crash in Karachi, which killed nearly 100 people and was linked to human error by pilots and air traffic control.
The airline’s ban was lifted in November 2024, following improvements in aviation oversight, though it remains barred from flying to the UK and US. PIA continues to operate domestic flights within Pakistan and to destinations in the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
