PIA apologises for Paris flight ad after public backlash

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) issued an apology on Friday following backlash over a social media post celebrating the resumption of flights to Europe after a four-year break.

The post featured an image of a plane heading toward the French landmark with the caption "Paris, we’re coming today."

The post provoked thousands of online comments, with many drawing comparisons to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, where hijacked planes were flown into New York’s Twin Towers, causing the deaths of nearly 3,000 people.

A PIA spokesperson, Abdullah Khan, stated that the post was not intended to offend and expressed regret for any negative emotions it might have triggered.

"Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion," Khan said. He also pointed out that while the post received around 60,000 to 70,000 negative comments, they represented a small fraction of the overall engagement.

The controversy prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order an inquiry into the matter, with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar calling the post "stupidity."

Despite the criticism, PIA reported that its flights to Europe have been operating at more than 95% capacity, with passengers largely responding positively to the airline's return to European routes.

PIA had been banned from flying to the EU, UK, and US following a fatal crash in 2020, but the European Union lifted the ban in November 2024. However, PIA remains banned from the UK and the US.