Pakistan International Airlines Faces Backlash Over Controversial Advertisement

An advertisement by Pakistan International Airlines has sparked outrage for its troubling resemblance to the tragic events of September 11, prompting an official inquiry.

On January 14, 2025, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif initiated an investigation into a contentious advertisement released by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), after numerous complaints arose regarding its alarming similarity to imagery associated with the September 11 terrorist attacks. The controversial ad, intended to promote the resumption of flights to Paris, featured an aircraft aimed at the Eiffel Tower alongside the phrase “Paris, we’re coming today.” This visual triggered widespread condemnation across various social media platforms, amassing over 21 million views on X, the social networking site.

Political scientist Ian Bremmer remarked on Threads, “Pakistan air needs a new graphic designer,” echoing sentiments shared by many others. Columnist Omar R. Quraishi expressed his disbelief that an advertisement could evoke such a poignant tragedy, questioning the airline’s awareness of the implications of using airplane imagery.

Pakistan’s history with the September 11 attacks remains notable, as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind behind the events, was captured in Pakistan in 2003, and Osama bin Laden was killed there in 2011. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the inquiry in Parliament, aiming to investigate the internal approval process behind the ad.

This incident adds to a series of challenges faced by PIA, which has struggled with substantial financial losses and ongoing attempts at privatization, currently stalled after an insufficient bid of less than 12 percent of an expected $300 million sale price. Past controversies also mar PIA’s reputation; it drew international scrutiny in 2017 when employees conducted a goat sacrifice on the runway and has faced safety standard criticisms leading to flight bans by the U.S. and U.K. Recently, the airline was permitted to resume flights to Paris after the European Union’s aviation safety agency revoked a previous four-year ban.