Pakistan International Airlines was slammed over an advertisement showing a plane seemingly flying into the iconic Eiffel Tower.

The ad captioned 'Paris, we're coming today,' depicted an aircraft flying near the famous landmark, leading critics to accuse the airline of insensitivity.

Some suggested the image implied the plane was heading straight for the monument.

On January 10, PIA announced the resumption of flights to Europe, following a ban from the US, UK, and EU in 2020 due to safety issues.

The first flight from Islamabad to Paris was fully booked, with more than 300 passengers on board.

The lifting of the EU's four-year ban is a significant milestone for PIA, coming after the tragic crash of a PIA plane in Karachi in 2020, which resulted in 97 fatalities.

An investigation revealed pilot error as the cause of the crash, leading to revelations that a significant number of Pakistani pilots held fraudulent certifications or had cheated on their tests.

Along with safety concerns, PIA has faced criticism for previous incidents, such as overbooking flights.

Notably, in 2017, the airline made headlines for allowing extra passengers to stand in the aisle of an overbooked flight.

PIA already has a history of controversial advertisements, including a 1979 campaign featuring the shadow of a plane over the New York City Twin Towers, which resurfaced after the 9/11 attacks.

Despite these, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hoped that lifting the EU ban would help restore the airline's reputation.