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‘Yikes’ — PIA’s misplaced advertisement for flights to Paris is worrying the internet

The national carrier resumed flights to France with a 'threatening' post on X, and people are full of jokes.
10 Jan, 2025

Our very own Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is resuming flights from Islamabad to Paris, and unveiled a rather interesting advertisement announcing the news.

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, PIA edited their plane flying right towards the Eiffel Tower, with France’s flag splattered across the sky in a decreased opacity, and let’s just say, the red of the flag next to the iconic landmark with the PIA plane flying head first towards it looks a little problematic.

To make matters even more meme-worthy, the post read, “Paris, we’re coming today.” Very ominous, and not something you’d want to read in an ad for an airline.

Of course, social media users had a field day with the post, with almost everyone questioning PIA’s graphic design choices. Comedian Shehzad Ghias Shaikh questioned if their post was a “threat”, and he wasn’t the only one — another person advised the airline to fire their ad agency.

Other netizens thought the “clown attitude” of the post showed that Pakistan was “waging a war against France”.

We must reassure our French readers that nothing of the sort is happening, it’s just a case of bad design.

Many X users reminded us that this isn’t the first time PIA has posted a questionable ad, and reshared their ad from the 70s that showed the shadow of a PIA plane over the Twin Towers in New York City. You know, the ones that were destroyed during 9/11? While PIA couldn’t have possibly known about the horrific attack, in retrospect the ad isn’t the greatest.

Another person compared it to the iconic Crumble cookies account that posts hilarious memes and reminded PIA that it was the national carrier, questioning how they didn’t see the problem in their post.

Someone urged PIA to “hesitate” before posting content.

The best tweet? Someone who summed up the situation with one word:

Yikes indeed.

Comments

Laila Jan 10, 2025 02:53pm
Hilarious. PIA should just shut down the flight business and venture into comedy instead. Way to wage a war ever so casually by announcing it with ominous imagery and all. Would love to read about Parisians reactions lol
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Tahmad Jan 10, 2025 03:53pm
It’s time for PIA management and pilot and crew to wake up and make PIA a great Airline again.
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Javed Iqbal Jan 10, 2025 04:26pm
What to expect from pia when it's already on edge
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Abdul Jan 10, 2025 04:26pm
The article is even better
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Jan 10, 2025 04:43pm
Welcome back.
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Gurpreet Singh Jan 10, 2025 05:16pm
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially this one.
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Nax Jan 10, 2025 06:07pm
LOL.
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MansoorK Jan 10, 2025 07:38pm
Hilarious! It got everyone's attention.
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Ijaz Jan 10, 2025 08:44pm
PIA flight to Paris shows the sign of confidence and motivations., excitement and enthusiasm. Nothing, wrong there. It’s way how you think.
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Syed Hasni Jan 10, 2025 09:40pm
4 things that can be seen from space 1. The Eiffel Tower 2. Mount Everest 3. Pyramids of Giza 4. Insensitivity of PIA administration
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Taj Ahmad Jan 10, 2025 09:49pm
PIA great people fly with, Can we go back in the 1970s to 1980s era…?
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Hamid Shafiq Jan 10, 2025 10:33pm
Nothing comedy
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Don Jan 11, 2025 12:15am
First make propaganda to sell it and now crashing flights to Paris???
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Laila Jan 11, 2025 01:22am
Also the illustration Dawn chose for this article is funny and cute af. The worried eyes and moustache on the Eiffel lol On January 7, PIA announced this news on X which has 269, 7 views currently. The post released today has 8,3 millions views. France should cease the moment and ask the EU to ban PIA indefinitely. Reason: threat to national security. Also it's PIA. They are coming. That doesn't mean they are leaving. France probably doesn't need more migrants lol
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Norman Jan 11, 2025 03:16am
Why are Pakistanis so negative? The ad isn’t that bad - stop making fun of it. Celebrate that the national carrier is back in Europe. Encourage it to grow and fly to further European destinations.
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mlk Jan 11, 2025 04:31am
I am sure we are there it is almost mid night 10th of January in Paris because it is 6.30 pm in Ontario Canada
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Jamal Anjum Jan 11, 2025 05:48am
The ad caption 'Paris we are coming today' is not comic. It looks like it is threatening France. Fire not only the ad agency but also the PIA officials who approved the ad.
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Wajahat Jan 11, 2025 08:14am
Nothing wrong in it. It's your own perception
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bolo-BOLO Jan 11, 2025 09:59am
What do you expect from a Sarkari ad. Itney paisey may to aisa hi hoga --- With that much money, you only get this. ---
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Khushi Jan 11, 2025 09:59am
It proves, what type of ad agencies they hire and how they do corruption. My 10 year old could do a better job for free. Astonished that he who made this sketch calls himself an advertiser.
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bolo-BOLO Jan 11, 2025 10:01am
Pareshan International Airlines, back in action to gather more Pareshani (problems)
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Mohsin Malik Jan 11, 2025 10:09am
State of airline shows lack of professionalism and same trickling down to associates gathered around. Unfortunate.
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Barista Jan 11, 2025 10:26am
Its funny. People should take it easy. Anyways, the ad has served its purpose ie drawing attention to PIA 's flight resumption to Paris.
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Jan 11, 2025 11:56am
Paris, France, here we come.
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Lalit Jan 11, 2025 12:15pm
Is this for real? TBH Sounds like a joke.
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Fuzail Sidiqui Jan 11, 2025 01:25pm
Some heads must roll in PIA management.
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Ehsan Jan 11, 2025 06:55pm
We are just too critical of ourselves, chill
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A. Mir Jan 12, 2025 09:12am
I see nothing wrong with this ad. Some people don't miss any opportunity to spread negativity about Pakistan. And, I equally blame author of this article (and DAWN) in promoting this negativity. Why did Dawn find a few X posts by some random people (including some lunatic's post showing twin towers with totally absurd comments) so sexy that they make a whole story out of it. Just because it has become so fashionable to say bad things about Pakistan!! What had PIA to do with Twin Towers?? I am sure there would be many ignorant and negative minded people who knew nothing about Twin Towers, would start thinking it was Pakistan or PIA behind it. STOP this propaganda against Pakistan.
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Multani Jan 12, 2025 10:17am
Really this advertisement is done in poor taste out to bring shame to our country.
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