Why this PIA’s ad for Paris flights faces huge backlash

Dubai: The controversy surrounding Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) recent advertisement to promote the resumption of its flights to Paris has sparked a heated debate in Pakistan’s parliament.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the ad which drew huge backlash and ordered an investigation into the campaign.

The advertisement, released on January 10, celebrated PIA's return to Paris after a four-year hiatus. The design featured a PIA aircraft flying towards the Eiffel Tower with the tagline "We’re coming today."

However, the ad quickly attracted criticism from social media users, who noted its striking resemblance to a 1979 advertisement showing an aircraft’s shadow over the Twin Towers, the site of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Insensitive design

Many found the design insensitive, with some even describing it as a veiled threat rather than a promotional message. Given the profound global impact of the 9/11 tragedy, the image was seen as particularly inappropriate.

Social media users expressed their outrage and disbelief. One user tweeted, "Who approved this ad? This looks more like a threat than a celebration of new flights to Paris. Are we really this tone-deaf?"

Others took to Facebook to voice their disapproval, with one user writing, "A horrible misstep. A little more thought should have gone into this. The ad could have been a positive announcement, but now it’s just a PR disaster."

Backlash

The backlash overshadowed the significance of PIA’s efforts to resume direct flights to Paris after a European Union ban, which was imposed due to safety concerns.

This issue was brought to the attention of lawmakers during a Senate session, where Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar confirmed that Prime Minister Sharif had ordered a probe into the controversial advertisement.

Senator's objection

In the session, Senator Sherry Rehman expressed concerns about PIA’s future, questioning whether the airline's planned privatisation was still on track. She also highlighted that out of PIA's 34 aircraft, only 19 were operational, with the rest grounded. Rehman took aim at the advertisement, which she argued misrepresented the airline's intentions and invited public ridicule. She questioned the agency responsible for the ad and the official who approved it.

Ishaq Dar acknowledged the problematic nature of the campaign and addressed past issues that had damaged PIA's image, including a 2020 controversy over fake pilots, which led to flight bans across Europe, the UK, and the US.

As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how the airline will recover from this latest PR blunder.