Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) clarified on Thursday that an advertisement showing a plane angled toward the Eiffel Tower was not meant to invoke memories of the September 11 attacks.
The ad, shared on X (formerly Twitter) on January 10, celebrated the airline’s resumption of flights to European Union destinations after a four-year ban. It featured a plane over the French flag with the caption, “Paris, we’re coming today.”
The post faced widespread criticism on social media, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to call for an investigation. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar later described the ad as “stupid.”
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez defended the ad as a celebration of the airline’s return to Europe and expressed surprise at the negative response. “We apologize to those who were offended by the advertisement,” Hafeez stated, emphasizing there was no intention to cause offense. He noted that the Eiffel Tower was included due to its global recognition.
The European Union had imposed flight restrictions on PIA in 2020 following a fatal crash in Karachi that claimed 97 lives. Investigations pointed to pilot error and raised concerns about pilot certifications, with reports of exam cheating involving nearly a third of Pakistani pilots. The ban reportedly cost the airline $150 million annually in lost revenue.
