Pakistan has allowed Taiwanese airlines to fly through its airspace again, reversing a move to bar them only hours after it was reported.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has granted China Airlines and EVA Air permission to use Pakistani airspace from October 28, 2026, to March 27, 2027, Bloomberg reported, citing documents dated October 28.
U-Turn Came Hours After Ban Was Reported
The approval came on the same day it emerged that Pakistan had closed its airspace to Taiwanese airlines in line with its One-China policy.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had earlier said the aviation division follows the One-China policy and that only mainland Chinese airlines were permitted to fly over Pakistan.
Flights Had Been Rerouted Over Russia
According to Flightradar24 data, both carriers stopped flying over Pakistan from the morning of October 25. Since then, at least a dozen of their flights between Asia and Europe were routed over Russia instead, adding flying time and fuel costs.
Taiwanese airlines had avoided Russian airspace since February 2022, although they were never formally barred from using it. On October 24, the two airlines operated 14 flights over Pakistan.
The restriction had gone further than Beijing’s own rules, as mainland China still allows Taiwanese carriers to use its airspace.
Pakistan’s airspace remains closed to Indian airlines, a ban the government recently extended till November 24.
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