Pakistan has closed its airspace to Taiwanese airlines under its One-China policy, a step Bloomberg reports no other country has taken. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the restriction, which is stricter than Beijing’s own treatment of Taiwanese carriers.
Flights shift to routes over Russia
Flightradar24 tracking data shows that China Airlines and EVA Air have stayed out of Pakistani airspace since the morning of October 25. At least a dozen flights operated by the two airlines between Asia and Europe have subsequently travelled over Russia instead.
Those longer journeys mean more time in the air and higher fuel costs. Neither airline offered a comment on the routing change.
Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration also did not address the rerouting. It did, however, say it has never prohibited airlines from using Russian airspace.
A restriction Beijing does not impose
Asif said that only mainland Chinese carriers are permitted to overfly Pakistan under the policy. Mainland China itself continues to permit Taiwanese airlines to pass through its airspace, making Pakistan’s approach more restrictive.
Islamabad has regarded Beijing as China’s sole government since the early 1950s and maintains no formal relations with Taiwan. The decision reflects Pakistan’s close economic and military ties with China.
China has made substantial investments in Pakistan through its Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese-built J-10C fighter aircraft supplied to Pakistan also played a part in the 2025 conflict with India.
Indian airlines remain barred too
Pakistan has separately kept its airspace off limits to Indian airlines since that conflict. The restriction has reportedly cost Indian carriers about $2 billion.
Earlier this month, the government prolonged the ban on Indian airlines until November 24. That restriction remains in place alongside the newly confirmed measure affecting Taiwanese carriers.
