Pakistan Takes Its Taiwan Stance To The Skies, Barring Airlines From Its Airspace

Pakistan has barred Taiwanese airlines from flying through its airspace in support of Beijing’s One-China policy, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirming that Islamabad will permit only mainland Chinese carriers to overfly the country, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Wednesday.

The move is being described as the first of its kind by any country specifically targeting Taiwan’s commercial airlines. It comes as Pakistan reaffirms its support for China’s claim over Taiwan and deepens its strategic partnership with Beijing.

Asif told Bloomberg that Pakistan’s aviation policy followed the One-China principle and that only airlines from mainland China would be allowed to fly through its airspace.

The reported restriction has prompted Taiwanese carriers to change flight routes between Asia and Europe, although neither China Airlines nor EVA Air has publicly commented on the changes.

Flights Rerouted Via Russia

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that China Airlines and EVA Air had not flown over Pakistani airspace from Sunday onwards. Since then, at least a dozen flights operated by the two carriers between Asia and Europe have been routed through Russian airspace instead.

The affected services include long-haul routes connecting Taipei with European destinations. China Airlines operates flights to Rome, while EVA Air serves destinations including London.

Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration did not comment directly on the reported change in flight paths. However, it said that it had never prohibited airlines from flying over Russia.

The airlines also declined to comment on the reported restriction. The reports did not specify how long it would remain in effect or detail the formal aviation directive through which it was implemented.

Pakistan’s China Policy

The move is consistent with Islamabad’s longstanding diplomatic position on Taiwan. In a joint statement issued in May following Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China, both countries reaffirmed their support for the One-China principle.

Pakistan described Taiwan as an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China and said it opposed all forms of “Taiwan independence”. The statement also affirmed support for China’s efforts to achieve national reunification.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly rejected the joint statement, describing its claims about Taiwan’s status as false. Taipei maintains that Taiwan is a sovereign country and that neither it nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other.

The reported airspace restriction marks a further practical expression of Islamabad’s position, extending beyond diplomatic statements to affect commercial aviation.

Airspace And Sovereignty

Under Article 1 of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation, states have complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territory. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) says countries can regulate routes, restrict flights or prohibit overflights in designated areas, subject to applicable international aviation rules and obligations.

The reported move differs from earlier cases in which countries denied Taiwanese officials permission to fly through their airspace. In April, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked overflight clearances for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s aircraft on a planned trip to Eswatini, forcing the visit to be postponed.

Those restrictions concerned a presidential aircraft rather than a blanket prohibition on commercial airlines.

Pakistan’s reported decision therefore represents a distinct development in the use of airspace restrictions amid tensions over Taiwan’s international status. The immediate impact is being seen in flight rerouting, while the duration and broader operational implications of the restriction remain unclear.