Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was recently unbanned from the European Union, with the first route resumption being between Islamabad (ISB) and Paris (CDG). Well, Pakistan’s government is now reportedly investigating the airline, over what might be one of the most widely seen airline social media posts ever…
Continue reading: Lol: PIA Being Investigated Over “Stupid” Paris Flight Ad
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
While I tend to agree with you, I don't think that they neglected to turn the airliner in the other direction. No, I think they did it on purpose because in their (apparently) simple mind, the jet is flying TO Paris and the Eiffel Tower is Paris.
Honestly, I think there's a level of naivete and incompetence involved that is laughable. As is that ad. But it sure does get clicks.
True, the content was so amusing that I failed to notice the ridiculously spaced font. Amateur hour at PIA (which seems to be every hour there).
Seriously. Who cares about the orientation of the plane. It's clear they wouldn't fly into the eiffle tower. People have too much time on their hands!
Ok @DT that's the funniest comment I've seen on this site in a long time. And actually, you might not be too far off the mark.
Why don't we see whether the 2-years-since-last-maintained PIA jet actually manages to survive the journey to Paris before worrying that they'll make good on their implication to hit the Eiffel Tower!
Will the French be lining-up to fly PIA? Will Karachi and Islamabad be featuring on Gallic travellers' "must see" lists? It's difficult to imagine, as is the desirability of transferring at either of their airports.
I think both airlines - in only slightly different ways - have become symbols that people associate with a much bigger cultural and political trend du jour that we need to "address" in (on?) the online sphere, so to speak. I think it's great that you're doing it here on your blog with this post, both respectfully and thoughtfully. But whether the airline management, their marketing team, or crew, intend it or not... there's no way I would be happy with this advertisment. I wouldn't fly PIA unless I really had to, but I'd be really happy to go on a flight to Israel or wherever on El-Al. How bizarre is the PIA (and AIC, for that matter) IFE?! Goodness gracious. Sorry long reply lol but I hope that clears things up 🙂
If they turned the airplane in the other direction (my initial thought too) it wouldn't match the slogan that they're "coming to Paris."
In Europe there's this thing called free speech. Americans really need to learn more about how the rest of the world works.
Europeans and Brits do Thoughtcrime really well. In Germany one can actually defame a dead person, as bizarre as that may seem, and in 17 European countries it's a criminal offense to deny minimise the Holocaust. For sure, that's a pointless and obviously ridiculous thing to wish to do, but making it a criminal offense to voice the "wrong" opinions is extraordinarily authoritarian.
The PIA exec though it was 'stupid'~ he probably knew in which country it would get the most attention, and I don't mean France.
I will strongly object. Jist check the censorship law dressed and sold as for protection of citizen. Not to mention some website were silenced by government without a reason.
Agreed - now this comment has become the #1 unsolved mystery on this blog. The world wants to know!
Ben, does this mean that we can't look forward to a PIA long-haul business class review in the near future?
Oh wow the reviews of PIA product/airport experience are pretty shocking! No thank you