'Paris Mein Darr Ka Mahaul Hai': Memes Take Off As Pakistan International Airlines Ad Shows Plane Heading Towards Eiffel Tower

Netizens on Friday sensed that something bad was about to happen after they saw a post on X by Pakistan International Airlines. The post featured an image of a plane heading towards the Eiffel Tower.

The post, which remained undeleted for hours after its appearance, was intended to announce the resumption of flights to France.

The airline on its social media platform X (formerly twitter) shared the advertisement featuring graphical image with the caption, "Paris, we're coming today."

The text on the image read, "Resuming flights between Islamabad and Paris from January 10, 2025."

The post by Pakistan International Airlines sparked reactions from social media users, who debated whether the carrier was merely informing the public or if the post should be perceived as a "warning."

Some users recalled a similar advertisement run by the airline in 1979, which featured the shadow of a Boeing 747 on the Twin Towers in New York.

"Looks ominous," wrote one user.

"How did this ad get approved?" asked another.

Mocking the ad, a third user commented, "Paris mein dar ka mahol hai (There is an atmosphere of fear in Paris)."

"Tourists should avoid visiting the Eiffel Tower. Better avoid Paris now. That's a genuine warning," another user wrote.

"I appreciate the marketing department. It takes a lot of nerve for such a bold act," one user jokingly remarked.

"Who's the designer of this controversial advertisement? And who approved it? A slight change in the direction of the plane and the placement of red color could have changed a lot of things," said a sixth user.

According to reports, PIA was barred from operating in Europe after one of its planes fatally crashed following a failed landing attempt in Karachi in June 2020.

PIA was also banned from flying to over 180 countries after it was revealed that 141 pilots employed by the airline held fake licenses.