People questioned whether it was an advertisement or a threat when Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) released an ad announcing the return of its flights to Europe after a 4-year ban. "Paris, we're coming today" is displayed in the PIA's advertising, which features a plane nosediving into the Eiffel Tower and announces that it will resume flights from Islamabad to Paris on January 10.

This Instagram post features a Bruno Mars song. Many people online are now comparing it to an advertisement from PIA in 1979, which showed a Boeing 747 aircraft casting its shadow on the Twin Towers in New York City. The Twin Towers were destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre were attacked by al-Qaida terrorists in 2001, resulting in the deaths of 2,997 people in the US. There has also been discussion online about Pakistan's connections to al-Qaida and its involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Now, flights from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to the European Union are resuming after the EU removed a four-year ban on the airline. The ban was imposed after a tragic plane crash in Karachi, Pakistan, that killed 97 people.

The flight to Paris has resumed starting January 10. While the announcement was necessary, the way it was written has raised some concerns. "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Or is it a threat?" asked satirist and columnist Kamlesh Singh. Like Singh, many people were left confused about why the airlines would release such an advertisement. The ad also sparked a wave of memes. While these memes were funny, they also raised some anxious concerns. “In 1979, 22 years before 9/11, @Official_PIA ran an ill-fated ad with a 747’s shadow over the Twin Towers. Yesterday, they marked the reset of Paris flights with another misstep—a plane seemingly flying straight toward the Eiffel Tower. Some lessons just aren’t learnt,” wrote Jamaal Hussain on X.

The ad's purpose has been questioned by others, given that certain men of Pakistani descent are being investigated for facilitating gang sex assault there. "Pakistan courts humiliation again! While #PakistaniGroomingGangs in the UK sparks outrage, PIA's ad draws global flak for linking itself to 9/11—a chilling reminder of Pakistan-backed terrorist Osama bin Laden. Blunders or deliberate?,” asked an X user. The PIA graphics team was even asked whether they needed a history lesson. “Whoever is in charge of graphics for Pakistan Airlines needs a lesson in history. What the hell is this!,” wrote another person. Others in France have even issued warnings. “PIA had done a similar ad in which an aeroplane was shown approaching the Twin Towers and a few years later a plane crashed into Twin Towers. France should be careful,” wrote another person on X.

“I think the French Government has every right to feel threatened by this ad by Pakistan’s National Airlines,” wrote another person. Instagram users responded quickly to the film that PIA shared on its official account. “I might recommend redrawing it so that the aircraft doesn’t look like its about to crash into the Eiffel Tower,” commented one user. Another person suggested that the person in charge of PIA's social media accounts be provided a summary "of everything post 9/11." “I don’t know if I should cry or laugh,” added another person on Instagram. What some people find worrying, others find funny. One thing's for sure, PIA either didn't think it through when approving the ad or wanted to become the talk of social media. After all, in today's world, no publicity is bad publicity.