Pakistan International Airlines apologizes for 9/11 resembling Paris ad
A man looks at an advert of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane flying at the Eiffel Tower, on his mobile phone in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 17, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) apologized Friday for an advertisement featuring a plane flying at the Eiffel Tower, posted to mark its first flight to Paris after a safety ban was lifted.
The image posted by state-owned PIA on social media showed a plane directed at the French landmark, with the caption, “Paris, we’re coming today.”
Thousands of online comments drew comparisons to the 9/11 attacks on New York’s Twin Towers, where two hijacked planes were flown into the skyscrapers, killing nearly 3,000 people.
‘Might have triggered some negative emotions’
“Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion with connotations and perceptions that were not intended,” said PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan. “It might have triggered some negative emotions, for which we truly apologize.”
He said there were around 60,000 to 70,000 negative reactions online, representing less than 10% of total engagement.
“Is this (an) advertisement or threat?” one post read under the advert, which has not been removed.
“I’d have a word with your marketing department on this one, chief,” said another comment.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the prime minister had ordered an inquiry into the advert, calling it “stupid.”
‘Extremely positive’ return to Europe
However, Khan noted that the response to PIA’s return to Europe has been “extremely positive,” with flights operating at more than 95% capacity.
PIA was banned in June 2020 from flying to the European Union, United Kingdom, and United States following a crash in Karachi, where one of its Airbus A-320s plunged into a street, killing nearly 100 people.
The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control, followed by allegations that nearly a third of the airline’s pilot licenses were fake or dubious.
In 2016, a PIA plane caught fire after one of its two turboprop engines failed during a flight from northern Pakistan to Islamabad, killing more than 40 people.
In November, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced it had lifted the ban, stating it had “re-established sufficient confidence” in the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s oversight capabilities. However, PIA remains barred from flying in the UK and the United States.
The airline operates flights to multiple cities within Pakistan, including the mountainous north, as well as to the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
