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November 7, 2026

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Pakistan

Pakistan briefly shut its skies to Taiwan’s airlines — then opened them again

Faizan Altaf

For four days in late October, two of Taiwan’s biggest airlines stopped flying over Pakistan. Then, almost as suddenly as the change appeared, Pakistan gave them permission to fly through its skies again — for the next five months. The short-lived episode has left unanswered questions about what really happened and what it means for Pakistan’s balancing act between its closest ally, China, and the practical business of international aviation.

The story began quietly. On Sunday, 25 October 2026, Taiwan’s China Airlines and EVA Air stopped using Pakistani airspace on their long flights between Asia and Europe, flying over Russia instead. On Saturday, 24 October, the two airlines had operated 14 flights across Pakistan. From the next morning, there were none, and at least a dozen flights between Asia and Europe were rerouted in the days that followed.

Three days later, on Wednesday, 28 October, the reason became public. Bloomberg reported that Pakistan had barred the two Taiwanese carriers from its airspace, and quoted Defence Minister Khawaja Asif as saying that Pakistan’s aviation authorities followed the One-China policy. “The aviation division follows the One China policy — only mainland China is allowed,” Asif said. Bloomberg described Pakistan as the first country to impose such a restriction on Taiwanese airlines on One-China grounds.

Later that same day, the picture changed again. Documents from Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, reported by Dawn and the Associated Press, authorised both airlines to operate passenger and cargo flights through Pakistani airspace from 28 October 2026 until 27 March 2027. Bloomberg later reported that overflight rights had been restored.

At a glance

What happened: Pakistan briefly stopped Taiwan’s China Airlines and EVA Air from flying through its airspace, then authorised them to use it again from 28 October 2026 to 27 March 2027.

Why it matters: It was reported as the first time any country had barred Taiwanese airlines on One-China grounds, and it showed how a diplomatic policy can suddenly disrupt international flights.

What happens next: The permission runs until 27 March 2027, and the airlines, passengers and diplomats will be watching whether it is renewed, and whether Islamabad ever explains what happened.

What actually happened, day by day

On Saturday, 24 October, flights were normal. Flight-tracking data cited in the reporting showed the two Taiwanese carriers operating 14 flights that crossed Pakistani airspace that day.

From Sunday, 25 October, the aircraft stopped crossing Pakistan and flew over Russia instead. At least a dozen flights took the longer northern route between 25 and 28 October. Neither airline commented to Bloomberg about the change, and Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration did not directly address the rerouting.

On Wednesday, 28 October, Bloomberg published its report, saying Pakistan had become the first country to restrict Taiwanese carriers in this way, and carrying Asif’s statement that only mainland Chinese airlines were permitted to use Pakistani airspace under the One-China policy.

Later that same day, the Civil Aviation Authority documents surfaced. Dawn reported that both airlines had been granted permission to operate through Pakistani airspace from 28 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. The Associated Press also reported the approvals, and Bloomberg later reported that overflight rights had been restored.

On Thursday, 29 October, Taiwan’s government reacted publicly. At a Cabinet news conference, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee said the Cabinet “deeply regretted” Pakistan’s brief closure of its airspace to Taiwanese airlines. Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi suggested that China may have influenced Islamabad’s decision, and described the move as one that could send a dangerous message to the international community. He did not present evidence to support the suggestion of Chinese involvement.

Why the route matters

To understand why this episode caused such a stir, it helps to understand the map. Taiwan sits in East Asia, and its airlines fly long routes west to Europe. The shortest path takes them across China, Central Asia and Pakistan, then on through the Middle East. Pakistan sits directly on that corridor.

When Pakistani airspace was not available, the airlines flew over Russia instead — a longer route, which generally means more fuel, more flying time, higher crew costs and tighter schedules.

There is also money in the sky itself. Countries charge airlines fees for the right to cross their airspace, and for Pakistan, sitting on a busy corridor between East Asia and Europe, those overflight fees are a steady source of foreign currency that requires little more than air traffic control to earn. No fee figures for this arrangement have been published, so the value of the deal cannot be calculated from the public record. But the principle is simple: every long-haul flight that crosses Pakistan pays for the privilege, and every flight that goes around it does not.

That is why the episode mattered commercially as well as diplomatically. A four-day detour for at least a dozen flights is a real cost. A five-month permission, running through the northern winter schedule, gives the airlines something they value even more than a short route: certainty.

The One-China policy, explained simply

At the heart of this story is a diplomatic idea called the One-China policy. It is worth explaining in plain terms, because it shapes how many countries deal with Taiwan.

China’s government in Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory. Taiwan has its own elected government, its own armed forces and its own passports, and has been governed separately from mainland China since 1949. Most countries, including Pakistan, formally recognise Beijing as the government of China and do not have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.

Pakistan has recognised Beijing since 1951, and China is Pakistan’s closest strategic partner. The two countries have built the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and China is Pakistan’s principal supplier of military equipment.

What made this episode unusual is that the One-China policy is normally about diplomatic recognition, not about commercial flights. Civil aviation authorities around the world routinely allow airlines from places they do not formally recognise to use their airspace. Overflight permission is generally treated as a technical, safety and commercial matter, not as a political statement. Indeed, mainland China itself allows Taiwanese airlines to use its airspace, so Pakistan’s reported position appeared, for a few days, to go further than Beijing’s own practice.

That is also why the restoration of permission was significant. It showed that Pakistan’s One-China policy, as applied in practice, does not necessarily require keeping Taiwanese airlines out of its skies. Diplomacy and aviation, in the end, were treated as separate things.

What Taiwan said

Taiwan’s government did not hide its anger. At a Cabinet news conference on Thursday, 29 October, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee said the Cabinet “deeply regretted” Pakistan’s brief closure of its airspace to Taiwanese airlines. She went further, accusing Pakistan of “pandering to China by compromising flight safety, disregarding international rules and reality, undermining our national sovereignty, and politicizing and weaponizing airspace.”

That is strong language. It reflects how Taiwan sees the issue: not as a routine aviation decision, but as a political move that touched on its status and on the safety of its flights. Taiwan’s government argues that airspace decisions should be based on safety and international rules, not on political pressure.

Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi went further still, suggesting that China may have been behind Islamabad’s decision. He said the move sent a dangerous message to the international community. But he presented no evidence to support the claim of Chinese involvement, and the reporting is clear on that point: it was a suggestion, not a proven fact. China has not been reported as commenting publicly on the episode. Neither China Airlines nor EVA Air commented to Bloomberg when the restriction was reported, and Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration did not directly address the rerouting.

What is still unclear

For a story that has been widely reported, a surprising amount remains unexplained. Four questions stand out.

First, was there ever a formal ban? The Civil Aviation Authority documents that restored permission did not explain whether they were reversing an earlier prohibition or simply clarifying an existing administrative arrangement. The paperwork does not settle whether a ban was formally imposed and then lifted, or whether the situation was messier — a permission that lapsed, was misunderstood, or was applied inconsistently.

Second, how long did the restriction really last? One report described it as lasting only a matter of hours before it was reversed. But flight-tracking data tells a different story: Taiwanese aircraft did not cross Pakistani airspace between 25 and 28 October, a period of four days. These two accounts cannot both be right, and the gap has not been explained. The flight data is the harder evidence, because it records what the aircraft actually did.

Third, who made the decision, and why? The Defence Minister’s statement pointed to the One-China policy, but the Civil Aviation Authority then granted a five-month permission without any public explanation for the change of course. Was it a deliberate decision that was then reconsidered, an administrative error, or confusion between ministries? No official has addressed these questions.

Fourth, what happened behind the scenes? Taiwan suggested China may have influenced the decision, but offered no evidence, and Pakistan has not said whether Beijing raised the matter at all. Without evidence either way, it is not possible to say.

Why it matters beyond aviation

This was a small episode in one corner of international aviation. No flights were cancelled, no one was hurt, and the skies are open again. But it matters for three wider reasons.

The first is precedent. If one country can bar Taiwanese airlines from its skies on political grounds, others could be asked to do the same. That is why Taiwan reacted so strongly, and why it framed the issue in terms of international rules rather than as a bilateral disagreement. For Taiwan, which depends on open skies to stay connected to the world, the principle is more important than any single route.

The second is about Pakistan. The episode put Islamabad in an awkward position. On one side stands China, its closest partner and the source of vast investment and military support. On the other side stand the practical demands of running a modern aviation system, the revenue from overflight fees, and the expectation that airspace decisions are made on technical grounds. Pakistan’s eventual answer — permission granted, policy unchanged — suggests it wants both: to keep its One-China commitment and to keep its skies open for business.

The third is about how quickly such decisions can disrupt ordinary life. Passengers on the affected flights probably never knew their aircraft had changed course. But airlines had to replan routes, burn more fuel and adjust schedules, all because of a decision made somewhere in a government office. In a world where airspace is increasingly affected by politics, this episode is a reminder that the routes on a map are only as reliable as the politics beneath them.

What happens next

The immediate future is clear: China Airlines and EVA Air can fly through Pakistani airspace until 27 March 2027. That covers the northern winter schedule and gives both airlines months of certainty.

Beyond that date, nothing is certain. The permission may be renewed as a matter of routine, as seasonal overflight permissions often are. Or the question may come up again, and with it the same tensions. Nobody has said what will happen after March.

There are also questions that may be answered in the coming weeks. Will Pakistan’s government explain what happened between 25 and 28 October? Will the Defence Minister or the Civil Aviation Authority clarify whether a ban was ever formally in place? Will Taiwan pursue the matter through diplomatic channels, or treat the restoration of permission as the end of the affair?

Frequently asked questions

Which airlines were affected?

China Airlines and EVA Air, Taiwan’s two largest carriers. Both fly long-haul routes between Taiwan and Europe that pass over Pakistan.

How long were the airlines kept out of Pakistani airspace?

Flight-tracking data showed their aircraft did not cross Pakistan between Sunday, 25 October and Wednesday, 28 October 2026 — four days. Some reports described the restriction as lasting only hours, but that does not match the flight data.

Why did Pakistan restrict the flights?

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan’s aviation authorities followed the One-China policy, under which only mainland Chinese airlines were permitted to use Pakistani airspace. That was the only official explanation given.

What is the One-China policy?

It is the position, held by Pakistan and most countries, that there is one China and that Beijing is its government. Taiwan is regarded by Beijing as part of China, although Taiwan has its own elected government and has been governed separately since 1949.

Did China order Pakistan to block the flights?

Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister suggested China may have influenced the decision, but he presented no evidence. China has not been reported as commenting on the episode.

Can the airlines fly over Pakistan now?

Yes. Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority authorised both airlines to operate passenger and cargo flights through its airspace from 28 October 2026 until 27 March 2027.

Is this the first time something like this has happened?

Bloomberg reported that Pakistan was the first country to impose such a restriction on Taiwanese carriers on One-China grounds. Mainland China itself allows Taiwanese airlines to use its airspace.

Conclusion

In the space of a week, Pakistan went from barring Taiwan’s airlines to welcoming them back for five months. The episode was brief, the disruption was limited, and the skies are open again. But it exposed something important: the line between diplomacy and everyday aviation is thinner than it looks. A policy designed for embassies and summits reached into flight plans and fuel calculations, and it took only a few days for the practical costs to show.

Pakistan’s answer, in the end, was to have it both ways: keep the One-China policy, and keep the airspace open. Whether that balance survives the next test will depend on decisions that have not yet been made, and explanations that have not yet been given. Until 27 March 2027, at least, the aircraft will keep flying over Pakistan.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

Faizan Altaf

Faizan Altaf is the founder and author of findivoza.com, a news blog covering world, Pakistan, business, technology, health and sport in plain English. He writes for general readers who want clear, trustworthy news without jargon. His work focuses on explaining what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next.

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