ISLAMABAD (AP) — State-run Pakistan International Airlines resumed direct flights to Europe on Friday following a decision by the European Union’s aviation safety agency to lift a four-year ban over safety standards, officials said.

Pakistan International Airlines resumed its flights to Europe on Friday six weeks after the European Aviation Safety Agency lifted its four-year safety standards ban, the state-owned Radio Pakistan reported.

Social media users were left scratching their heads at a Pakistani airline's ad announcing its flights to Europe had resumed after a four-year suspension.

Pakistan’s national airline has come under fire for a “tone deaf” advert that appears to show a plane flying into the Eiffel Tower.

On January 10, a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777-200ER , registered as AP-BGK, departed on flight PK749 from Islamabad International Airport (ISB) to Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport Airport (CDG), marking the airline’s return to European skies for the first time since 2020.

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.

Pakistan's state-owned airline, plagued by a history of deadly crashes and a pilot licence scandal, resumed flights to Europe on Friday after a four-year ban was lifted by EU regulators.

PIA's authorisation to operate in Europe was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance with international av

Pakistan International Airlines has announced the resumption of flights to France on January 10. The announcement sparked humorous reactions on social media, with comparisons to a controversial 1979 advertisement featuring a plane over the Twin Towers.