A recent advertisement by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announcing resumption of flights from Islamabad to Paris has sparked widespread controversy and online backlash. The ad, posted on PIA’s official X handle on January 10, 2025, has prompted the airline authorities to apologise. The image features a plane directed towards the famous Eiffel Tower with the words, “Paris. We’re coming today.”

The ad was meant to celebrate the Pakistani Airline’s return to Europe after European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted its safety ban on PIA on November 2024. However, netizens have come down heavily on the state-owned airline’s controversial post.

PIA has not yet taken down the post but have issued a formal apology for the same. The post has garnered about 21.4 million views as of now, with over thousand comments.

On the controversial ad, PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan said, “It may have triggered some negative emotions, we sincerely apologise for it.” During a Senate session, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has also referred to PIA’s ad design as ‘stupidity’.

Social Media Reaction

While, many social media users have criticised the ad for its resemblance to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York’s Twin Towers that claimed almost 3000 lives, others have expressed concerns over the poster’s design.

“Run For Your Lives, French people”

A user warned, “Run for your lives, French people.”