"9/11 Terror Remembrance"... Airline Apologizes Over 'Eiffel Tower Plane Crash' Ad Controversy

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which had been banned from flying to Europe due to pilot license forgery, resumed flights to Paris, France after more than four years, but the advertisement it released sparked controversy, leading the airline to issue an official apology just days after posting the ad. The advertisement depicted an airplane dangerously close to the Eiffel Tower, giving the impression of an imminent collision, which evoked memories of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

On the 17th (local time), foreign media including the Associated Press reported that Abdullah Hafeez, PIA spokesperson, stated the previous day, "The poster was not created to remind people of the 2001 US 9/11 attacks," and "We apologize to everyone who was hurt by the advertisement." He added that the reason for including the Eiffel Tower in the poster was "because the Eiffel Tower is one of the world's top tourist attractions."

Controversial advertising poster for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to Europe. PIA X (formerly Twitter), Yonhap News Agency

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Earlier, on the 10th, PIA posted an advertisement poster on its X (formerly Twitter) account announcing the resumption of flights between Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, and Paris, France. The poster showed a PIA passenger plane flying over Paris, but coincidentally, the plane was depicted as if it was about to collide with the Eiffel Tower, a symbol of France. The background of the poster featured the three colors of the French flag, with the phrase "Paris, we are coming today" written above the flag.

Once the poster was released, it caused a major uproar on social media platforms. Netizens criticized the airline harshly, commenting that the poster reminded them of the 2001 US 9/11 attacks, with remarks such as "Is this information or a warning?" and "Fire the person in charge of publicity." Additionally, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation into the matter.

The pilot license forgery scandal in Pakistan was uncovered following a PIA passenger plane crash on May 22, 2020. The plane was scheduled to fly from Lahore to Karachi but crashed in a residential area less than 1 km from the runway at Jinnah Airport in Karachi, Sindh province. Of the 99 passengers on board, only two survived. Early accident investigation reports revealed that "the pilot was chatting during landing and had disengaged the autopilot. Neither the pilot nor the air traffic controllers followed basic rules."

According to an investigation by Pakistan's aviation authorities, out of a total of 860 pilots, 262 (30%) were found to have fake licenses or had cheated on exams, including 150 PIA pilots. As a result, Europe and the United States immediately banned PIA flights. However, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced in November last year, four years after the ban, that "Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority has regained sufficient supervisory capability and trust," and lifted the flight ban. Nonetheless, the United States and the United Kingdom still prohibit PIA passenger flights.

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