PIA under investigation after 9/11-resembling ad sparks outrage

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has called for an investigation into a controversial social media post by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that stirred anger for its apparent resemblance to the 2001 World Trade Center attacks.

The post, which aimed to announce the resumption of flights to Paris after four years, quickly became the subject of intense criticism on social media.

The advertisement, shared on PIA’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on January 10, showed an aircraft heading towards the Eiffel Tower with the French flag in the background.

pic.twitter.com/qUoNCyL385

— PIA (@Official_PIA) January 10, 2025

The caption read, “Paris, we're coming today.” While the message seemed innocent, the striking similarity to the imagery of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, where planes were hijacked and crashed into American landmarks, caused a public uproar. The post went viral, garnering over 21 million views within days.

During a session in Parliament, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Prime Minister Sharif had instructed an inquiry into the incident. "The Prime Minister has directed [authorities] to investigate who conceived this ad. It is stupidity," Dar stated.

Despite the backlash, PIA’s first flight to Paris in four years successfully landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport on January 10. Although the European Union recently lifted the ban on PIA flights, the airline still faces restrictions from operating in the United States and the United Kingdom.

This isn’t the first time PIA has found itself at the center of a controversy. In 2017, the airline faced mockery when staff members sacrificed a goat on the tarmac for good luck.

Additionally, in 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) banned PIA flights after a deadly crash in Karachi that claimed 97 lives. Investigations revealed that pilot error was responsible for the crash and uncovered that a third of Pakistan’s pilots had fraudulent licenses.