Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has become a global laughing stock after posting a grossly insensitive advert - and declining to take it down.
The airline is under investigation, the country’s prime minister said, after showed an image a plane flying in the direction of the Eiffel Tower.
The image was posted by the airline on social media on January 9 to announce that it would be resuming flights to and from Paris this month.
The advert clearly shows a plane heading towards the iconic French monument with the slogan, “Paris, we’re coming today.”
The colours of the French flag are shown in the background. At the bottom of the photo, it reads: “Resuming flights between Islamabad and Paris from January 10, 2025.”
The image is eerily reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks that took place in the United States in 2001 when terrorists hijacked a total of four commercial planes, two of which were flown into New York City’s Twin Towers.
The country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an inquiry into the ad, Pakistan news channel Geo News reported.
Pakistan Airlines stood its ground: another insane marketing blunder.
"Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion with connotation and perceptions that were not intended," PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan told the AFP news agency. "It might have triggered some negative emotion, for which we truly apologise."
But the advert was still posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, as of Saturday morning (AEST).
Many social media commentators noted the ad's resemblance to the 9/11 attacks.
The image has been viewed more than 21 million times on X since it was published last week.
PHOTO BY @OFFICIAL_PIA/PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES /X
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