After an online ad featuring a plane flying toward the Eiffel Tower, Pakistan International Airlines ( PIA ) apologized and offered an apology.
The picture, posted on the airline’s standard X account, was intended to indicate the first trip to Paris since protection restrictions were lifted, but it rapidly drew criticism for its perceived indifference.
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” Alas, this was blown out of proportion, with meanings and opinions that were not intended”, PIA official Abdullah Khan told AFP. ” It may have triggered some negative thoughts, for which we respectfully apologise”, he added.
A PIA aeroplane was depicted in the post with the comment” Paris, we are coming today,” and was directed straight toward the renowned French landmark. The image was compared to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, when hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York, killing almost 3, 000 individuals, by some social media users.
The resemblance between the advertisement and the 2001 assaults, where two helicopters were flown into the World Trade Center, were uncovered by dozens of responses. Osama bin Laden, the head of al-Qaeda, was killed by US troops in Pakistan in 2011; a Pakistani extremist is reportedly responsible for the attacks ‘ chief mastermind.
On the internet, reviewers were quick to express their concerns. One person asked,” Is this an ad or a danger”? while another wrote,” I’d have a word with your marketing division on this one, key”. Different people even joked,” Paris must be on high alert by today”, and” I would price this craft 9 out of 11″.
Khan added that the adverse reactions amounted to around 60, 000 to 70, 000 feedback.
Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, claimed the prime minister had ordered an investigation into the advertisement and that it was an example of” stupidity.”
In recent years, PIA’s reputation has suffered a number of failures. In June 2020, the aircraft was banned from flying to the European Union, UK, and US after one of its Airbus A-320 planes crashed in Karachi, killing almost 100 people. The pilots and air traffic control initially put the blame on individual error, but it eventually became clear that a substantial number of pilots had uncertain or fake licenses.
A PIA helicopter burned to the ground in 2016 after one of its vehicles failed on a flight from the far-north to Islamabad, causing the death of over 40 people.
In November, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted the restrictions on PIA, citing” enough trust” in the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s monitoring. But, it is still forbidden for the airport to fly in the UK and the US.
PIA continues to fly to a number of locations in Pakistan, including those in the rocky northwest, and also provides travel to countries in the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
Despite the reaction, Khan noted that the firm’s returning to Europe has been welcomed with good feedback. Airlines to Paris had been operating at over 95 % power.
The contentious post is still active on PIA’s established X handle.
