Pakistan to probe airline advertisement resembling 9/11-style attack
A government minister has labeled the advertisement featuring a plane heading towards the Eiffel Tower as “stupidity.” Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Pakistan International Airlines’ recent public relations campaign generated controversy with an image of a plane appearing to speed toward the Eiffel Tower.
In response to the backlash, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has initiated an investigation into the airline's decision to publish an advertisement that many interpreted as a reference to the 9/11 terror attacks.
The advertisement, released last week, depicted a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower accompanied by the caption “Paris, we’re coming today.” This was meant to mark the resumption of flights to Paris after a four-year hiatus due to issues regarding the licensing of PIA pilots. However, the ad was widely criticized on social media. One commenter quipped, “All they needed to add was Allahu Akbar,” while many others pointed out its stark resemblance to the events of 9/11, when hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Omar Quraishi, a former advisor to ex-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, questioned the decision-making process behind the ad, asking, “Who designed this? Who or which agency manages its social media accounts? Did the airline management not vet this?” He emphasized, "Do they not know that PIA is an airline owned by a country often accused of supporting terrorism?”
In 2011, US special forces located and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the chief planner of the hijackings, was detained in the country in 2003.
Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar informed parliament this week that Sharif has directed an inquiry into the advertisement. Dar criticized PIA for its “stupidity” in launching the campaign, as reported by Pakistan’s GeoNews.
This is not the first time PIA has faced criticism for its marketing decisions. In 1979, the airline promoted its Paris-New York route with a half-page ad in Le Point, showcasing a Boeing 747’s shadow on the Twin Towers' glass facade.
More recently, in 2016, PIA was ridiculed after ground staff performed a goat sacrifice on the runway for good luck ahead of a domestic flight. The airline clarified at the time that the ritual was not part of company policy and that the staff acted independently.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
In response to the backlash, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has initiated an investigation into the airline's decision to publish an advertisement that many interpreted as a reference to the 9/11 terror attacks.
The advertisement, released last week, depicted a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower accompanied by the caption “Paris, we’re coming today.” This was meant to mark the resumption of flights to Paris after a four-year hiatus due to issues regarding the licensing of PIA pilots. However, the ad was widely criticized on social media. One commenter quipped, “All they needed to add was Allahu Akbar,” while many others pointed out its stark resemblance to the events of 9/11, when hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Omar Quraishi, a former advisor to ex-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, questioned the decision-making process behind the ad, asking, “Who designed this? Who or which agency manages its social media accounts? Did the airline management not vet this?” He emphasized, "Do they not know that PIA is an airline owned by a country often accused of supporting terrorism?”
In 2011, US special forces located and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the chief planner of the hijackings, was detained in the country in 2003.
Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar informed parliament this week that Sharif has directed an inquiry into the advertisement. Dar criticized PIA for its “stupidity” in launching the campaign, as reported by Pakistan’s GeoNews.
This is not the first time PIA has faced criticism for its marketing decisions. In 1979, the airline promoted its Paris-New York route with a half-page ad in Le Point, showcasing a Boeing 747’s shadow on the Twin Towers' glass facade.
More recently, in 2016, PIA was ridiculed after ground staff performed a goat sacrifice on the runway for good luck ahead of a domestic flight. The airline clarified at the time that the ritual was not part of company policy and that the staff acted independently.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
