A recent post by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announcing the resumption of flights to France went viral on social media, creating panic among netizens over the absurd advertisement. The X post, featuring an image of a plane heading toward the iconic Eiffel Tower with the caption “Paris, we’re coming today,” went viral. In addition, another visible text read, “Resuming flights between Islamabad and Paris from January 10, 2025.”
However, the netizens were quick enough to compare the ad with a 1979 PIA advertisement that showed one of its planes casting a shadow over the Twin Towers in New York City, which were later destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks that claimed thousands of lives. After the post was shared, the post went viral and has 23K likes, 2.9K comments and 9.4K retweets.A netizen commented, “Is this a threat???” “You can’t be serious this time! This was back in the 1970s. Fire your designer!” another user wrote and shared this post.
“Tourists should avoid visiting Eiffel tower. Better avoid Paris now. Thats a genuine warning. @EmmanuelMacron,” a third post. The PIA is all set to resume its operations in Europe with the maiden flight to Paris, ending a more than four-year ban by the European Union’s aviation agency over safety standards concerns. The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) authorisation to operate in Europe was suspended in June 2020 due to concerns regarding the Pakistani authorities’ and Civil Aviation Authority’s ability to meet international aviation standards, following a plane crash in Karachi after a failed landing attempt.
The first flight after the suspension was lifted departed from Islamabad International Airport (IIAP) at 12:10 pm, aboard a Boeing 777 (AP-BGK) aircraft. The flight carried 330 passengers and 14 crew members. The inaugural flight, PK-749, was seen off by Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif, PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, and other senior officials. To mark the relaunch, PIA has adorned the aircraft with a model of the Eiffel Tower on its tail and the slogan “I Love Paris” on its nose. The Boeing 777 has been modified to comply with European Union aviation standards.
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