Pakistan bans Taiwanese carriers from its airspace

Pakistan has barred Taiwanese airlines from using its airspace in line with Beijing’s One-China policy, Bloomberg reported on 28 October.

It cited Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif as saying, “The aviation division follows the One-China policy, only mainland China is allowed.”

The minister said Islamabad now permits only airlines from the People’s Republic of China to fly through Pakistani airspace, excluding Taiwanese carriers.

Flight tracking data showed that Taiwanese carriers began rerouting flights over the weekend. China Airlines and EVA Air have not flown over Pakistani airspace since Sunday, with at least a dozen flights between Asia and Europe instead routed through Russian airspace.

The affected services include long-haul flights from Taipei to Europe. China Airlines operates a route to Rome, while EVA Air connects Taipei with London.

Notably, since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2022, Taiwanese airlines such as China Airlines and EVA Air have largely avoided Russian airspace.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned Pakistan for siding with China in undermining Taiwan’s sovereignty and weaponising airspace. It said it will coordinate with transport authorities while respecting airlines’ decisions on flight routes based on safety, travel time and costs, TaiwanPlus reported.

Both airlines declined to comment to Bloomberg, while Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration did not address the flight rerouting.

Unlike Pakistan, China allows Taiwanese airlines to fly through its airspace. Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, while Taipei maintains that the island is self-governing.

Pakistan has also barred Indian carriers from its airspace, recently extending the ban on Indian-registered and Indian-operated aircraft, including military planes, until 4:59 am local time on 24 November 2026. The restrictions cover the Karachi and Lahore airspace regions.

The ban was first imposed in April 2025 following an escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan. India has also closed its airspace to Pakistani aircraft in response.