Pakistan’s national airline says that an advertisement showing a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower was never intended to evoke the memories of the Sept. 11 attacks

Pakistan's flag carrier has drawn widespread criticism for putting out an advertisement that showed a plane flying towards the Eiffel Tower. The ad was meant to promote the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines' flights to the French capital and had the caption "Paris, we're coming today".

Pakistan's national airline said that an advertisement showing a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower was never intended to evoke the memories of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Pakistan's national airline has apologised for the advertisement, which is still online more than a week after it was first posted.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country's national carrier, has apologised for a social media advertisement depicting a plane flying into the Eiffel Tower. The ad, posted on Jan. 10 to the airline's social media to commemorate the resumption of flights between Islamabad and Paris, was titled, "Paris, we're coming today".

PIA makes its return to Europe after a turbulent history marked by safety issues, including a deadly crash and pilot license scandals.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has condemned the Pakistan International Airlines ad, calling it an act of ‘stupidity’.

The total collective reach of this ad alone is 30 million now with 755,000 reactions out of which only 10pc were negative," spokesperson says.

Pakistan national airline draws criticism over ad published to mark first flight to Paris after safety ban lifted

The ad depicted a PIA aircraft flying directly toward the Eiffel Tower, sparking backlash from social media users, particularly in Europe.