Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag carrier, has come under fire for an advertisement that depicted a plane flying towards the Eiffel Tower.
The advertisement, intended to promote the airline’s resumed flights to Paris, featured the caption, “Paris, we’re coming today.”
The promotional image sparked outrage on social media, with critics likening it to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Several users on X expressed their dismay, with one remarking, “Is this an advertisement or a threat?” Others called for disciplinary action against the airline’s marketing team.
Since its publication last week, the advertisement has garnered over 21 million views on X and prompted swift condemnation. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reportedly ordered an investigation into the matter, while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also criticised the airline’s decision, according to Geo News.
The 9/11 attacks, which involved hijacked aircraft crashing into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC, resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people. The incident remains a sensitive topic worldwide, particularly given that Pakistan has been linked to the event through the arrests of key figures such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind of the attacks, and Osama bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaeda network.
Pakistani journalist Omar Quraishi expressed disbelief over the advertisement, writing on X, “Did the airline management not vet this?
“Do they not know about the 9/11 tragedy – which used planes to attack buildings? Did they not think that this would be perceived in a similar fashion.”
PIA has yet to issue an official statement on the controversy. However, this is not the first time the airline has faced criticism for its actions. Social media users pointed out that in 1979, PIA released an advertisement showing the shadow of a plane over the twin towers. Other controversies include a 2017 incident where staff sacrificed a goat to ward off bad luck following an aviation disaster, and a 2019 directive instructing flight attendants to lose weight or face grounding.
The latest incident has once again drawn attention to PIA’s management practices and raised questions about its sensitivity and oversight in promotional campaigns.
Frances Ibiefo
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