Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued a public apology after a controversial social media post on its official X handle sparked backlash and prompted an inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The post, celebrating the resumption of flights to Europe after a four-year ban, featured an image of a plane aimed at the Eiffel Tower with the caption “Paris, we’re coming today.”
The post drew widespread criticism, with many online users comparing it to the 2001 attacks on New York’s Twin Towers. The backlash included thousands of negative comments, accusing PIA of insensitivity and poor judgment.
In response, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan acknowledged the unintended negative perceptions caused by the post. “Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion with connotation and perceptions that were not intended,” Khan told AFP. “It might have triggered some negative emotion, for which we truly apologise.”
Despite the controversy, PIA emphasized the positive reception of its return to Europe, noting that flights have been operating at over 95% capacity.
Background and Inquiry
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Prime Minister Sharif had ordered an inquiry into the incident, describing the advert as a display of “stupidity.”
PIA’s return to European skies follows a ban imposed in June 2020, after a crash involving an Airbus A-320 in Karachi, which resulted in nearly 100 fatalities. The disaster was linked to human error, and subsequent investigations uncovered that a significant number of PIA pilots held fake or dubious licenses.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted the ban in November, citing regained confidence in the oversight capabilities of Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority. However, PIA remains barred from flying to the UK and the United States.
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