New Delhi: Pakistan International Airlines resumed its flights to Europe on Friday, after a four-and-a-half-year ban, lifted recently by the European Union Air Safety Agency. While the return is a significant moment for the national carrier, the airline’s attempt to announce its arrival in Paris has sparked an unexpected storm on social media.
In an ad that many found more threatening than welcoming, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) posted a message that read, “Paris, we’re coming today.” This was accompanied by a graphic that showed a plane going straight toward the Eiffel Tower with the French flag for a background—perhaps not the best way to announce their return.
— PIA (@Official_PIA) January 10, 2025
The statement, combined with the ominous graphic, immediately raised eyebrows, with many questioning the airline’s marketing choices. People had had a field day on social media.
“When your marketing budget runs out but dark humor is free,” Soha Chauhan wrote on X.
Others were serious: “I think every pakistani should clarify that this plane isn’t aiming for Eiffel tower. And the designer should be fired ASAP,” X user @mahobili wrote.
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‘Never stop being unserious, PIA’
The controversial ad was quickly compared to an infamous promotional campaign from the 1970s in which a PIA plane’s shadow ominously loomed over the Twin Towers in New York—years before the 9/11 attacks. This resurfacing of old ads prompted some to comment on the airline’s history of graphic design gaffes. Photographer Mohammad Zain shared older PIA ads on X, lamenting, “We used to be a proper country.”
Hina Khan was worried. “Graphic designer is gonna get them banned again,” she wrote.
In 2020, PIA’s operations were temporarily suspended by the European Union due to concerns over the safety of its pilots. The suspension followed the grounding of 262 pilots whose licenses were deemed dubious by the Pakistani government. With the lifting of the ban, the new ad was meant to signify the airline’s return to European skies—instead, it raised questions about its debts.
Former Pakistan minister Moonis Elahi wrote, “What kind of idiots are running this shit show???”
“Give PIA away for free at this point and keep the debt. This is an embarrassment,” said entrepreneur Yousuf Farooq.
Others were so embarrassed that they took it upon themselves to salvage the reputation of the country and its national airlines. X user @PehnDiSiri added a white flag atop the plane in the ad and captioned it: “PARIS, no worries… we are coming with white flag.”
Another removed the Eiffel tower and wrote, “Fixed.”
Others, however, were not so serious.
“See this is threatening but the french deserve it,” X user Rameen wrote. Another said, “eiffel tower u will be missed.”
Perhaps the funniest reaction was when a user posted a picture of Osama bin Laden, calling him the pilot of the plane.
X user @detrop summed up the situation perfectly. “Never stop being unserious, PIA.”
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)